


Saviour

by RiseoftheBlossom



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2020-08-12 03:49:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 387,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20149306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiseoftheBlossom/pseuds/RiseoftheBlossom
Summary: Her first encounter with him was when she was just twelve years old, on a mission gone wrong. He saved her team. Since then, Sakura had crossed paths with him a handful of times and each time, he seemed to be protecting her. Who was this man? What did he want with her?





	1. First Encounter

**Chapter 1**

**First Encounter**

* * *

"Did you pack the ointment, Sakura?"

Sighing, said girl looked over her shoulder with annoyance, just barely holding back a harsh retort. Quite recently her mother had been on her case about a lot of things, most of them involving her chosen profession of being a kunoichi. They disagreed very strongly on that. Sakura wanted to be a powerful, independent kunoichi, whilst her mother wanted her to be a civilian, to live a safe yet very boring life. Who would want that, though? Definitely not herself. And, silently, Sakura promised her future children (should she ever have the privilege of having them) that she would never try to force them into anything they didn't want to do, or be.

"Yes, Mother."

"Good, because we don't want you getting any infections out on your mission." The blonde sighed, looking over her daughter's bedroom. "This mission–"

"Is going to be beneficial for the village."

"That may be, but Hatake Kakashi will not be joining you."

That was true and just the reminder had Sakura's heart palpitating with fear, had her stomach curling with unease. However, she and her team needed to learn how to be independent. They couldn't do that with Kakashi always protecting them and watching their backs. Sure, it was his job to do that and he never really thought much about it when doing it, but still. They needed to do this. It would help them grow.

Finally finished putting her supplies into her pack, Sakura slipped it over her shoulders and tugged on the straps, satisfied with how it felt. Not too heavy, yet not too light. "We're not travelling all that far – I doubt we're even leaving Fire–"

"That's not the point," Mebuki finally snapped, her worry obvious. "You're barely even thirteen years old, Sakura."

Being thirteen years old meant nothing to shinobi. At just thirteen years old, her teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, had already made his first kill. He'd already done so much for their village. Naruto was the same, although he'd never killed anyone. She was the same. Sasuke wouldn't allow them to. It was like something instinctual would snap in him and before they had the chance to do anything, he'd be there and finishing their enemy off. It never annoyed Sakura, though. He was protecting them from the horrors, despite it being a little pointless doing so, given their profession.

"This is no life for a child."

Ignoring her, Sakura walked out of her bedroom and towards the front door, only pausing to slip on her sandals. It was superficial and vain of her, but she loved her outfit. Pretty stupid considering there was always a chance of it being destroyed, however, it couldn't be helped. The red qipao dress made Sakura appear curvier than she actually was, and she absolutely adored how the slits went all the way up to her hips, though she kept her modesty with the dark shorts beneath the dress. It made her feel beautiful.

"Sakura–"

"I've already told you, Mom," Sakura snapped, finally having enough of her constant nagging. "I want to be a kunoichi."

Something saddened in her mother's eyes, her features dropping with hurt and disappointment. It agonised Sakura seeing that look, but she kept up her front. Years of clashing with Ino had taught her how to. Pretending to hate (or in her mother's case, be annoyed with) somebody when you actually didn't, she meant.

"Just…" The blonde woman closed her eyes with exhaustion, sighing as she did so. "Please be safe."

The hard expression cracked, her heart feeling as though it was being lashed at and without a second thought, even though she was now halfway out the door, Sakura closed the distance between them and hugged her mother tightly. "Don't worry so much," she told Mebuki as cheerfully as possible, pulling away and gently kissing her mother's cheek. "I'll be fine."

Shinobi rule number four: a shinobi must always put the mission first.

No matter what the cost.

Running a hand through her hair, Sakura sighed.

It was much longer than it used to be, reaching the middle of her back now. In all honesty, it was a pain during missions and training and continuously got in the way, but… She couldn't cut it again. Not when… Sakura bit her lip, glancing at the figure walking in front of her. Well, Sasuke liked girls with long hair, didn't he? Maybe she could simply put it up during missions and training? Oh no. She couldn't do that! Ino would pounce on her within seconds, even if they weren't in the same freaking country! Sakura could hear the accusation of copying the blonde already.

"It's weird without Kakashi-sensei here," Naruto mumbled, folding his arms behind his head.

In response, Sasuke smirked and closed his eyes arrogantly, saying, "Don't tell me you're scared already, Dobe."

Great. Another argument was about to commence and unfortunately for her, Kakashi was not around to break them up. Sure, Sakura had no trouble making Naruto back off (something she secretly loved). Sasuke, on the other hand…

She grimaced.

"Oi!" Naruto practically roared, quickly turning to glare at the Uchiha viciously. "I'm not scared of anything, you bastard!"

"Funny," he scoffed. "Because I could have sworn you almost lost your bladder during our last mission, whilst we were on a perimeter run."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle at that one, recalling the incident.

Naruto's cheeks burned. "And what about you, huh? What about that time when we were on watch and you screamed like a little girl when–"

"Shut up, idiot," Sasuke growled, the back of his neck burning with embarrassment and humiliation.

However, instead of being intrigued, or yelling at Naruto for attempting to humiliate Sasuke, Sakura instead tensed as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end, as a strange feeling began to curl within her gut.

Gut instinct.

She swallowed hard, recalling the words her sensei had once said:

"_Never ignore your gut instinct. Doing so could get you killed._"

Pretty blunt, but at the same time, it got the message through to children.

"Guys…"

They were too busy arguing, though.

"It was just a little bug," the blond laughed boisterously, clutching at his stomach and pointing at Sasuke. "You screamed like a girl over a bug."

"You almost wet yourself because of a rabbit."

Fear immobilised her, making Sakura stare after her teammates with wide eyes. Something bad was going to happen. She could feel it. She could feel _it_. Eyes on her. An evil, disgusting chakra lurking behind the dark trees. It was still the very early hours of the morning and the forest wasn't fully lit yet. It would take another hour before that happened. The only reason why it was so dark was because Sasuke had wanted them to set out early and since he was the captain of their team for the mission, they could not argue.

A tremble shook her body. There wasn't only one chakra. There were several and all of them were strong. It reminded Sakura of the time during the chunin exams. Of Sabaku no Gaara's chakra. Nowhere near as powerful, but it was just as dark and intimidating. It was difficult to even breathe due to the killing intent.

"G-Guys…"

"Yeah, well–"

"_Guys!_"

The scream abruptly ended their argument, had them tensing as they finally picked up on the killing intent. It was second nature how Sasuke reached for the thigh holster wrapped around the black shorts attached to his jumpsuit, quickly whipping out a kunai, while Naruto did the same but with shuriken.

So much for a simple delivery mission. But then again, when had a mission taken by Team Seven ever been simple?

The two boys quickly moved nearer to Sakura, Sasuke sending her a hard look that had her snapping back to herself, had her grabbing her own kunai so she wasn't entirely defenceless.

Around them, the forest was shifting, looking slightly different to what it had only moments before. "Genjutsu," Sakura murmured to her teammates and in unison, they each released the genjutsu, narrowing their eyes as a team from an unknown village appeared before them. "Can you tell where they're from, Sasuke-kun?"

His eyes bled to red and black, narrowing. "No."

"Oi, what do you want?" Naruto demanded, shifting ever so slightly when those opposite them did.

They didn't appear to be much, but Team Seven had already learned that appearances could be deceiving. All four of them were wearing dark clothing, all had their faces mostly covered. Sakura could tell that one of them had stunningly blue, exotically slanted eyes, but the rest were all too dark to distinguish what colour they actually were. It was also difficult to tell if they were female or male.

"The scroll."

Male. Sasuke's eyes narrowed further. "Why do you want it?"

Another one, the one with blue eyes, spoke. "That is none of your concern. Hand it over."

Female. "It's our mission to deliver the scroll," Sakura retorted calmly, trying her best to actually remain that way. Calm. "If we hand it over, we'll fail our mission."

"If you don't hand it over, you'll all die."

The third voice was the harshest of them all, deep and rough and angry. Also male. It honestly terrified Sakura and made her very small control over her fear, slip.

Naruto growled lowly. "Like hell! We'll kick your ass–"

"Is that so?" the female practically purred, running two of her fingers along the handle of the katana that was in her hands. When none of them said a word, she continued in that same tone. "I wouldn't even risk it, if I were you. That scroll is of no importance to your team – definitely isn't something to lose your lives over."

"Then why do you want it so badly?" Sasuke ordered and as he did, he tightened his hold on his kunai. "If it's so unimportant, then why–"

"I said it's not important to _you,_" she replied. "I didn't say that it was unimportant to us. If we have to kill you to retrieve the scroll, then so be it. I was merely suggesting that we… compromise."

It felt like the chunin exams all over again. Not for the first time, Sakura swallowed hard. It hadn't been all too long since the chunin exams and she still had awful nightmares because of them. However… "We can't hand over the scroll."

Naruto nodded quickly in agreement. "It's our job to protect it."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously, the tomoe in his sharingan swirling.

The enemy sighed, her blue eyes closing with an emotion they couldn't understand. Probably because there wasn't any specific emotion in her eyes. It was merely a pain to her, having to battle for the scroll. "Very well. Boys!"

With that, the three by her side lunged.

Her back collided with a tree as Sasuke shoved her out of the way and took on two of them at once, growling angrily at the fact they had gone straight for Sakura. It wasn't surprising, because she was the one with the scroll, although had made no sign or indication that she had it. They were each carrying a scroll, though the ones he and Naruto had were fakes. Instead of holding the information that the other village wanted, they were instead laced with the same jutsu used during the chunin exams. The one that sent the person who opened it, to sleep.

An idea struck her and if the look that Sasuke shot her meant anything, he was thinking the same thing as her.

"Okay, okay!" Sasuke snapped, feigning a look of anger and defeat. "Just… Just don't hurt her."

The woman's blue eyes narrowed. "Hand over the scroll and we'll let you all live."

It occurred to the three of them at that moment that their enemy didn't seem all that much older than themselves. The thought made Sakura feel sick. Considering how they weren't wearing forehead protectors, then they probably didn't belong to a village. Rogue–nin. That was a life she'd absolutely loathe to live. Always on the run. Always having to look over her shoulder. It seemed so lonely.

"Fine," he muttered, slowly reaching into his pouch with exaggerated movements, so they wouldn't be startled by anything too fast or unexpected. "Here."

He tossed it towards the woman, but she didn't catch it, instead allowing it to fall to the ground in front of her. Sasuke's eyes narrowed in response.

"Baiu. Open it."

The man in front of her, the one with the darkest eyes of them all, nodded once and turned his back to Team Seven. He was easily the tallest and most muscular, towering over his comrades. It had Sakura shifting against the tree uneasily until Naruto moved closer to her, holding a protective stance.

That was something she'd always had mixed feelings about: being protected by her boys. While feeling extremely grateful that they would put their lives on the line to save hers, it also made Sakura feel absolutely useless. There was no use in denying that she was weak. Intelligence-wise, she was powerful and surpassed her two teammates. Genjutsu-wise, she was adequate, though definitely no expert. Taijutsu was the same. Ninjutsu… Ninjutsu was currently what she was worst at. But how was Sakura supposed to learn when they were always protecting her? Then again, how was she supposed to survive without them?

Those thoughts weren't given any more time to continue as the beast of a man, Baiu, released the seal on the scroll and opened it quickly.

And the second the jutsu was activated, everything around them burst into action.

Blue Eyes (as Sakura had dubbed her), leapt away from the scroll, covering her mouth and nose with her hand before vaulting off a tree and nosediving straight into Sasuke, knocking them both to the ground. It made Sakura's eyes go wide. That was not usually how shinobi fought. Even Sasuke was startled, taking several hits as he tried to recover. It was like she was part animal, part _wild_.

The two others turned to Naruto, glaring viciously at him before they began attacking with shuriken.

Sakura tightened her grip on her kunai, falling into a defensive stance. However, just as she was about to help Naruto, he yelled at her, "Stay back, Sakura-chan! I've got this."

Her eyes snapped to Sasuke, who was now thankfully back on his feet with his hands flying through familiar seals.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!_"

The air around them heated up dramatically and Sakura could feel her skin blistering and the ends of her hair being singed as the giant fireball whizzed by her and straight for the woman. A small piece of her mind was whispering thanks to her mother for forcing her to take the ointment. They were surely going to need it after this.

"_Suiton: Mizurappa!"_

Water countered the fire, gushing from Blue Eyes with incredible force and colliding with Sasuke's jutsu. There was a loud hissing sound, reminding Sakura of when she poured cold water onto a sizzling hot frying pan, before a mist filled the clearing, an effect from the two jutsu colliding.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto!"

She couldn't see a thing. All Sakura was capable of doing was listening as the battle played out. She didn't know whether or not they were losing, whether her boys were kicking ass. However, the sound that suddenly came from Naruto had her believing that no. No they were not winning.

And then, his body was slamming into hers, solidifying that thought.

All air was beaten viciously out of Sakura as she was crushed between the tree and the force of Naruto being thrown at her. It wasn't too long until another body was colliding with them both and when Sakura's head smashed against the tree, all thoughts became jumbled. It was hard to think, hard to breathe.

But then something happened that had her fighting desperately for consciousness, even though her two boys were long lost to the darkness of unconsciousness.

Somebody dropped in front of them, his arrival making the mist disperse until seeing was possible again. She couldn't see the person's face, because their back was to her, but the way he held himself (she was guessing he was a guy) and the way he was so calm, brought forth two different feelings within herself. Fear and safety. With the way her mind was scrambled at that moment in time, however, Sakura couldn't decide which feeling was greater.

Squinting, Sakura tried hard to focus on everything that was happening, but the person moved far too quickly for her to even try to keep track of, even when she was at full health. All she could make out was that one moment, they were all standing, staring each other down, and then the next, three bodies were hitting the floor and unlike their unconscious comrade, they were all lifeless and bleeding out. The figure kept his back to her.

"You…"

Finally, the person turned around, but unfortunately for her, their face was covered by not only the high neck of their cloak, but also a hat of some sort.

"W-Who…" Sakura coughed violently, her vision dimming. "Who… are you?"

Red eyes gleamed back at her, but despite instinct telling her she should be, Sakura could not fear the figure who had just saved her life, saved her teammates' lives.

"You will be safe now," his voice was low, yet smooth. "I have contacted your Hokage."

Her head was swimming, making Sakura's eyebrows knit together as she squinted at the figure, trying desperately to get some information about him. She had to thank them somehow. How could she do that without a name, or at least a face? Determinedly and shakily, Sakura tried her best to stand, but her legs gave out on her and she collapsed onto the ground between her fallen teammates, on her front. Too much pain. Her body was practically useless right now.

Seeing the figure backing away made her try again, but yet again, it was a failed attempt. "W-Wait! At least… tell me your name?"

The person glanced over their shoulder, a single red eye regarding her features for a moment, before they disappeared from view, leaving her alone with her unconscious teammates. All Sakura could do was wait for back up.

She didn't even know his name.


	2. You've Improved

**Chapter 2**

**You've Improved**

* * *

It had been three years since that botched mission.

As it turned out, because they had left so early and moved so quickly, the chunin who had been ordered to stop them from leaving, hadn't been able to. Why had he had to stop them? Because it had been reported that large platoons of rogue-nin were travelling by Konoha. Sasuke had received a slap on the wrist for bending the rules to suit his needs from Kakashi, but they were more or less let off the hook. The only truly bad thing to happen was the fact that they weren't allowed to go on missions without Kakashi for a while, and since he was always busy, they went a while without missions.

During those three years, Team Seven once again took the chunin exams, even though Sakura's heart had been pounding the entire time with fear that something else was going to happen. It didn't, and they had passed with flying colours. Even Naruto, surprisingly enough.

Also, with a push in the right direction, Sakura had approached one of the Legendary Sannin while she was in the village, asking to be taken on as her apprentice. Tsunade had agreed with little to no hesitation.

The apprenticeship was difficult for many different reasons. The first being that Tsunade definitely did not allow Sakura to slack off or hide away like Kakashi and her boys had. No, one of the first things Tsunade beat out of her was her tendency to run scared. And something else? The blonde had never blamed Sakura for that bad habit. She had blamed the other members of Team Seven for babying her.

Like she had, Naruto was taken on by another Sannin, Jiraiya. As for Sasuke, he had left for a while with Kakashi to be trained. It was safe to say that Team Seven was falling apart. Not that that was too surprising, as a part of Sakura had always known that their teamwork was seriously lacking. Sasuke wanted to do everything himself, Naruto wanted to do even better than Sasuke, whereas she had wanted only to please the Uchiha.

When they reunited as a team, it had been with a bang. Literally.

Konoha had been under attack on the day they all returned to the village (her having left due to Tsunade and her assistant, Shizune, travelling around the world). They had met up halfway down the road that would lead to the gates, briefly catching up and commenting on how different they all appeared, before a loud explosion caught their attention and a violent shake of the grounds caused them to throw their arms out to keep their balance. The three of them – along with Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade and Shizune – had made it just in time to see the leader of the enemy go down by someone that had Sasuke's teeth gritting and fists clenching.

His older brother.

It wasn't that they had never got on, as they could be civil with one another. It was simply that they would rather not be in one another's presence. Why? She had absolutely no idea. Sasuke would never go into detail about it. He simply grunted that his brother was an arrogant bastard and that was that. In his mind, that was enough explanation. Sakura was always curious as to what happened between the brothers. From what she had heard from their mother, Mikoto, they used to always be together – Sasuke pretty much followed him around all day, begging to be trained or for them to play. They had been damn near inseparable. _So what happened_? It bugged the hell out of Sakura that she didn't know.

With a sigh, Sakura removed her hospital uniform and dumped it onto the bench in the changing room, though quickly glanced around to see if anybody else was in there. They weren't. If there was one thing she disliked more than anything, it would be changing in front of people. She hated it. There were too many parts of her body that she despised for her to ever be comfortable with somebody else looking at her. It probably sounded so stupid because she was a kunoichi, right? Her chosen profession didn't make her any less of a person, though. Like everyone else, she had insecurities and issues with her body. Nobody was perfect.

It was thanks to Tsunade's training that she was now a medic-nin – finally something her mother agreed on, too. That was because she now equally divided her time between missions and working at the hospital. It was great being a medic-nin. She got to protect her precious people, she was capable of healing their pain. Being able to take somebody's pain away was always a rewarding job, especially when they thanked her afterwards or she could see the happiness in their eyes.

Slipping on her red vest, Sakura silently zipped it up and grabbed her shorts, pulling them up and shuffling them over her hips. Training with Tsunade was great, because they worked at a time of day that was good for the both of them. After returning to the village, Sakura got to squeeze in a few hours at the hospital before training while Tsunade recovered from a hangover. During their travels, she had noticed that her shishou enjoyed a few too many drinks. She had her reasons, however, so she never complained about the blonde's habits.

Shizune had once told Sakura about the devastating loss Tsunade had suffered through not only once, but twice. It was while they were in a local bar of some sleazy, gambling town and the blonde had been lost in a world of her own, throwing away what little money to her name that she had left.

The first to break her heart was her younger brother, Nawaki. But instead of letting it permanently keep her down, Tsunade fought hard to change the village, to change how shinobi were trained. She wanted medics on the teams so that others wouldn't suffer painful losses like she had. A man around the same age as her had backed up Tsunade and later, she discovered that he lost his sister (who actually turned out to be Shizune's mother). That man's name was Dan. He was the reason Tsunade had been broken so badly that she had no hopes in being repaired. Of course, her fear of blood was no more but there was always that look in her eyes whenever she saw it, like she was being launched through time and to a place she never wanted to be.

Sighing as Sakura realised she was getting lost in her thoughts, once dressed, she shut her locker door and turned to leave.

Team Seven was a team once more, but they had their fair share of problems. Getting on with one another was the major one. It had nothing to do with her, though. In her own opinion, the two boys acted like spoilt brats. If Sasuke was doing great at one thing, Naruto would shout to the heavens before challenging him to something else. It usually resulted in the two sparring until they could barely even move and damn it, Sakura was getting so freaking tired of healing them.

"_Sakura-chan!"_

Speaking of her teammates…

Turning, she gave them a smile. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto! What are you both doing here?"

"We have a mission," Sasuke told her and unlike the blond who all but ran to her, he slowly walked over to Sakura with his hands shoved in his pockets. "We need to go and see the Hokage."

It was with her nod of understanding that they set off in the direction of the Hokage Tower, Naruto babbling on and on about how his training was really paying off, because he could now produce a clone and create his rasengan without even thinking about it. Sakura was certain that he was exaggerating, trying to seem better than Sasuke, but there was no true way of knowing until she saw him actually using the rasengan, was there?

She'd learned over the years that it wasn't good of her to judge a book by its cover. Well, it was more because of the fact that her opponents often underestimated her, mostly because of her hair colour. Although, quite a large portion of the time, they underestimated her because she was female and that angered her so much. She knew many great shinobi who were female and some of them were a hell of a lot more powerful than most men could ever hope to be.

"We're here," Naruto announced loudly and kicked the door to the Hokage's office open, ignoring as it banged harshly against the wall. He walked in arrogantly with his chest puffed out and his eyes closed and on both of his sides, Sakura and Sasuke sighed. "Now give us our mission, old man."

"Old man…" The man sat in the Hokage chair sighed and turned to face them, raising an eyebrow at the blond. "Is that any way to speak to your father, Naruto?"

Namikaze Minato, Sakura thought with a smile on her face. He was their Yondaime Hokage and somebody she admired greatly. Not only that, but Sakura _adored_ his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. She was so strong, so deadly and so scary that it amazed her. It _inspired_ her.

"C'mon, Dad…" he whined, his arrogant demeanour fading away. "Can we just leave already?"

"You know, if your mother was here, she wouldn't stand for that attitude."

He sighed and lowered his head. "Sorry for barging in like that and for calling you an old man."

Minato nodded once and then gestured to the door as it creaked closed. "Now apologise to Obito for almost crushing him to death."

Naruto winced and turned around to face the badly scarred Uchiha, who didn't look all that impressed with him even though he only had one eye. "Sorry, Obito."

He still didn't look too pleased, though soon wiped the look from his face when Sasuke tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at him, almost like he was challenging the older Uchiha.

It had her sighing. Because he was a member of the head family, Sasuke often felt the need to prove the power he had over the other Uchiha. He said he was simply keeping them in line, that he was making sure they continued to follow orders. However, Sakura knew that he wanted control. After all, growing up in that house of his, where he had absolutely no control over what happened and how, was bound to rub off on him. She was just glad Obito didn't rise to the challenge and instead backed down, even though they all knew that he was powerful in his own right. How did she know that?

One of the scariest things Sakura had ever witnessed had to be Kakashi and Obito going at it. Not just when they sparred, but when they got seriously mad at each other. It was like Naruto and Sasuke's fights, only even deadlier, as both were definitely more powerful than the chunin. It was why Rin demanded that she be there every time they got into a fight – so she could heal them both. If not, then she asked Sakura to be there, as the younger woman understood the terrifying fear of her boys fighting with one another.

So, while Sasuke was definitely gaining more and more power, he wasn't up to Obito's level yet. It was just to stop any fights breaking out that he backed down. It just wasn't worth the trouble it would no doubt cause. After all, you couldn't start a fight with one Uchiha head family member and not expect the rest to get involved, could you? It was insubordination, in a way.

When his single eye glanced over them all, Sakura offered him a small smile, silently apologising for both of her teammates.

He returned it once the two boys had turned around. "Anyway, Minato-sensei, I should get going. Continue keeping the chair warm for me, won't you?"

As soon as Naruto exclaimed loudly that _he_ would be the next Hokage, both Minato and Obito chuckled and the latter left.

"Calm down, Naruto." Minato continued to laugh. "Obito's winding you up."

Maybe partly, but not entirely, Sakura thought. According to Rin, who was very dear to Obito, he often spoke about becoming Hokage and had since the very first day she met him.

"What is our mission?"

Thankfully, Minato wasn't concerned with Sasuke's rudeness and instead he gave them all a smile. "This will be a b-ranked mission and for it, you will be joined by Team Ten. Their Ino-Shika-Cho formation will be useful if you encounter an enemy within the area."

"We won't need them, you–"

"Shut it, Naruto," Sakura snapped, unable to stop herself from hitting him upside the head. He leaned forward dramatically, clutching his now-throbbing head before glancing up at his teammate through squinting eyes.

"S-Sakura-chan… You–"

"Stop interrupting Hokage-sama!"

The blond was still wincing, although now there was a pout on his lips. "Man… You need to stop hanging out with baa-chan and my mom."

She cracked her knuckles threateningly and in that moment, it seemed as though Sakura was towering over them all, her expression _screaming_ that she was prepared to dish out more pain. Nobody insulted her shishou or Uzumaki Kushina around her and to add to the assault, Naruto was insulting her, too, in a way. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing!"

"Let's get on with the mission, shall we?" Minato chuckled sheepishly, watching the pair of them. Sasuke stood off to the side, ignoring his teammates. It seemed Kakashi had more work to do with them, even though they were all chunin now. Their teamwork left a lot to be desired. "You will be gone for around a month and will be scouting the area surrounding Kumo. According to reports, there are two rogue-nin who are causing a great deal of trouble for travellers–"

Sasuke couldn't help but cut him off. "You're sending two teams to deal with two rogue-nin?"

With unsurprising patience, Minato allowed the Uchiha to rudely cut him off. Growing up with a woman such as Kushina, as well as bringing up a son such as Naruto, must have helped improve his patience vastly over the years. "Their abilities, from what we have gathered so far, can be dangerous if not countered correctly. This is why you will only be scouting. If possible, do not approach or attack these rogue-nin."

Also unsurprisingly, Sasuke scoffed, seeming offended.

Naruto immediately exploded with anger. "_Eh!_ Are you saying my team isn't good enough, Dad? We don't even need Team Ten to back us up! We'll deal with these bastards without them!"

Even Sakura felt a little insulted by his words, however… "There's a reason why we can't attack head on, right? You said their abilities are dangerous."

He nodded once. "One can, apparently, read minds with a certain jutsu. That is why Team Ten is joining you. If you cross paths with the duo, you will have Yamanaka Ino with you, who is also skilled when it comes to the mind. According to her father, she has been practising her clan's jutsu and successfully mastering a great deal of them."

"And the other?" Sasuke drawled.

"Attacks while his partner is busy reading your mind, searching for your weaknesses and strengths before informing the attacker of what they are, via a jutsu somewhat similar to the mind transfer."

Both Naruto and Sasuke perked up in their own individual ways upon hearing this and inwardly, Sakura groaned. It was going to be incredibly risky for all of them, but they all knew that this was a test to see how far they could be pushed. It had been happening for a while now for the other teams, so it must be their turn now.

She just hoped nothing went wrong.

"You will meet Team Ten at the gates in an hour," Minato told them. "Please be safe on your mission." They nodded once. "Dismissed."

* * *

Fixing her sleeveless red qipao, Sakura glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes.

As soon as they separated to prepare for the mission, she'd gone straight home and changed into her mission clothes due to being dressed in her every day, civilian outfit. For a while, she had tried out different vests and shorts, but found that her usual qipao was most comfortable, not to mention the splits up the sides of it made moving around incredibly easy. So she wasn't flashing her underwear at anyone, however (since it was a lot shorter than her old ones), Sakura wore a pair of short black shorts beneath it.

Just before heading out, Sakura regarded herself in the mirror, frowning slightly.

This wouldn't be their first mission since returning and at fifteen years old, thanks to Tsunade's training, Sakura knew she was much stronger, but that mission from almost three years ago continued to bother her, to the point where she worried non-stop about how badly their teamwork actually was. Don't get her wrong, because if something was going on with one member of their team, then the rest of Team Seven would do whatever possible to look out for or defend that person. The same applied for missions. However… It made her truly wonder if they were able to work together like the other teams. They all had each other's backs and knew what to expect with a simple glance.

Could _she_ know what to expect with a single glance from Uchiha Sasuke? Hell would freeze over the day she learned how to understand Sasuke. He was too unpredictable. As for Naruto, he wasn't labelled the most unpredictable shinobi for nothing. More often than not, if he was challenged, he'd rise to it and attack without a second thought. Rules and the safety of their team seemed to fly straight out of his head.

Thankfully, Sakura knew she could always rely on Kakashi one hundred percent, even though he rarely went on missions with them nowadays. He always had one mission or another and they were always a-ranked or above. Their sensei was just too skilled to keep sending on low classed missions whereas the rest of the team wasn't up to his level in both skill and experience. They had quite a way to go before they caught up with him.

Well, she did, anyway.

Sighing and pushing the depressing thoughts from her mind, Sakura said her goodbyes to her parents, kissing them both on the cheek, before leaving to meet her team.

* * *

"Well, since _I'm_ obviously the one who's in charge–"

"You?" Sasuke scoffed. "Who in their right mind would put you in charge of not only one, but two teams?"

His question had Naruto bristling, had him clenching his fists and taking a threatening step forward. Shame it didn't work on somebody like Sasuke, who merely watched him blankly in return. If she didn't have to put up with their constant bickering pretty much every single day, Sakura would have said that it was amusing. But it wasn't. It was tiring having to always split them up.

"I'm going to be Hokage," snapped Naruto angrily. "This is _easy_ for somebody like me."

Before the Uchiha could even think about replying, Shikamaru stepped between them, momentarily stopping the argument. He seemed displeased about it, but that didn't surprise Sakura in the least. Shikamaru was a totally laid back kind of guy who wanted to get through life with as little hassle as possible. "As troublesome as it is," he drawled in that lazy voice of his, "neither of you are captain of this mission."

Whereas Sasuke scowled at him, Naruto demanded answers, "Who is, then?"

"You're looking right at him, you idiot," Ino cut in sharply and her blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "It's obviously Shikamaru who's our captain, since he's the only jonin among us."

Ino. Sakura was so thankful that her childhood best friend and rival would be joining her on this mission. There was no telling how long the mission would truly take because they could only really leave when they had all the information they could gather. Sure, Minato had said it would take around a month but when was a mission ever so simple? Knowing their luck, they would be gone for months.

"And as captain, I order you both to stop arguing. You're giving me a headache."

His dismissal made the pair of them bristle, though Sasuke certainly hid it better. "Perhaps somebody else should be captain, then. You're clearly too delicate for the job."

Naruto froze before grinning widely.

"Nice try." Choji couldn't help but roll his eyes, snacking away on what was probably his third or fourth bag of chips. "But Shikamaru has a higher rank than all of us. He's our superior."

Again, it pissed the two males of Team Seven off.

She sighed.

They both had superiority complexes, if you asked her. Sakura jumped in before any arguments could start out, smiling sheepishly. "We're going to be together for an entire month on this mission," she told them. "And since it's a mission, we need to have each other's backs."

Ino nodded in agreement, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not letting anything come in the way of this mission."

"Just like I won't let anything put the team at risk," Shikamaru stated plainly. "If you have a problem with Hokage-sama's decision of making me captain, go and take your problems to him. I don't want to hear them."

Geez. Even Sasuke was silenced by Shikamaru's blunt speech. The two had never really spoken, she thought, and it was clear that the Nara wasn't all that fond of Sasuke. Again, it just showed his personality, which he never tried to hide: laid back and finding it too troublesome to hold anything back. At the same time, however, Shikamaru was protective of his teammates. He wouldn't let anything happen to them on his watch. Kind of reminded her of Kakashi, in a strange way. They were definitely completely different people, but when on a mission, when part of a team, they seemed to be fairly alike.

Once the two finally pushed aside their prides and egos, once they finally nodded in agreement, they quickly went through what would be happening on the mission and what to expect. It was to make sure nothing was left out and nobody would be receiving any nasty surprises, so none of them complained about the fact Minato had already gone over it with them. It was better to be safe than to be sorry.

And then they were off, dashing through the trees at such speed that Sakura couldn't help but smile to herself. It made her feel free, like nothing was tying her down or like anything could even capture her. It was a wonderful feeling, one she hoped she always got to feel.

* * *

It was so dull.

Sighing, Sakura turned around in her sleeping bag, wanting to feel the heat of the fire on her back instead of her face.

They'd been there for a day already and nothing had happened. They had yet to track down the target's camp. Tomorrow morning, she and Ino would be taking a trip into the nearest town which was only a couple of miles away. There, they would put their womanly charms to the test and try to find out whatever possible. Just in case of any ambushes, the guys would be sticking close, though keeping their distance at the same time. They would also be making use of their earpieces once more to stay in contact.

Sakura couldn't sleep, however. Even though she knew she needed to, it just continued to evade her. Something was bothering her. Something was nagging at her, picking at her gut. Gut instinct, perhaps?

It wasn't like anyone was around. Sasuke was currently on watch and nothing ever escaped his attention. In her eyes, he was a close example of the perfect shinobi. Only close because there were clearly a few issues there in that head of his. Sasuke _had_ to be the one in charge and he disliked taking orders from anyone, including their own sensei. Was it something to do with his clan? They all seemed rather pushy and dominant, if you asked her. Even Mikoto, his mother, could be quite forceful when conversing with her. Don't even get Sakura started on Uchiha Fugaku – Sasuke's father. That man was… impossible, to say the least. She hated spending any time in his presence because it always felt like her every move was being analysed. Fugaku could have his eyes closed and she would still feel that way.

As for his brother, Uchiha Itachi… What was there to say? According to Sasuke, he was arrogant and always had a huge stick up his ass. Also, Itachi was rarely ever home because he was always away doing whatever it was that ANBU do. They rarely saw each other, meaning Sakura _never_ saw Itachi unless she was passing him in the street. His aura was cold and distant. Unapproachable, even.

The only Uchiha who didn't seem to have a huge, impenetrable wall of ice around himself and a stick up his ass was Obito. He was so goofy at times and never failed to cheer Sakura up if she was feeling down. At the same time, however, she knew how dangerous Uchiha Obito could be. He wasn't the strongest Uchiha, but he was definitely powerful. The fact he was able to keep up with _Kakashi_ spoke volumes. There was also a past there, one she didn't know the full story to. However, what was clear to her was that there had been some kind of incident during a mission, one where Obito had been badly harmed and left permanently scarred all down the righthand side of his body. During that time, he gave his sharingan to Kakashi. What happened, though? How did he survive? And did he regret giving one of his eyes to Kakashi?

"Sleep, Sakura."

The sound of Sasuke's voice startled her and for a moment, Sakura couldn't find any words to speak. Eventually she managed to turn onto her back, watching the dark sky looming above them. How Sasuke could tell she wasn't sleeping when he couldn't even see her face, when he wasn't even looking over at her or in her direction, Sakura would probably never know.

"I can't."

Sasuke was always bossing her around – another sign of his need to be in control, to be the dominant one. He was the type who gave orders without hesitation. Sometimes he gave them without thinking them through properly.

She wished she could see into that head. "We may as well swap over now," Sakura murmured as she sat up. "It's obvious I'm not getting any sleep."

He paused for a moment, regarding her silently before nodding once. "If you get tired, wake me up."

There was no reply. Instead Sakura watched him as Sasuke stood from the fire and made his way over to his sleeping bag, making her sigh with jealousy at how he instantly fell asleep. Wordlessly, she climbed out of her own sleeping bag and made her way to Sasuke's previous seat, grateful that it was still warm. Thanks to one of his many jutsu, the fire didn't release any smoke, therefore didn't give away their position to anybody who was passing by.

Despite their more than obvious faults and their lack of teamwork, Team Seven truly cared about each other in their own individual ways. Kakashi protected them with his life more times than Sakura could even count and he comforted her when she needed it. Sasuke protected them, too, though without as many words, if any at all. Naruto was loud and attention demanding, taking on all attacks in an effort to take the attention away from his teammates.

As for her? Sakura was always standing right behind them, always ready to do what she did best: healing them. If they stumbled, she was there to catch them and set them back on their feet. Nobody could harm her boys, not while she was around. It was upsetting being kept behind, being constantly protected, but just knowing the good she did? Just knowing that she was taking away their pain? Healing them of possibly life threatening injuries? Worth it. And one day, once she finally mastered one of Tsunade's most difficult techniques, she knew she could stand by their sides instead of behind them. She could fight with them and heal them at the same time.

It seemed like hours flew by as Sakura continued to think of her teammates, gazing into the fire until her skin felt toasty warm and her eyes began to sting.

It would be time to wake Naruto up soon, she thought and thankfully, she was beginning to grow tired. Unlike others, Sakura found it difficult to fall asleep on command. Apparently her shishou was no different so she never beat herself up over it. It usually took Tsunade a good few bottles of the strongest sake before she knocked herself out into a dreamless sleep, one free of haunting nightmares of her past.

Sakura wished she could take her shishou's pain away. The woman was good at hiding the pain, though. Did that make it even worse? Kind of, in Sakura's eyes. She was a healer. She wanted to be able to heal Tsunade's heart, even though it probably seemed impossible. There was no way of bringing her loved ones back, so that pain was always going to be there. However, she could try to help her move on, right?

Who was she to say that? Shizune had been trying for many years now to help Tsunade. Nothing worked. All that happened–

A sudden spike of chakra had Sakura shooting out of her seat and falling into a defensive stance in front of her sleeping teammates.

Somebody was out there. They were alone and from what she could tell, they weren't looking for a fight. How did they appear like that, though? Without warning and without any explanations? Unless they were masking their chakra up until that point, it should have been impossible. Well, unless they were using the transportation jutsu from an incredible distance. You had to be pretty powerful to be able to master such a jutsu so flawlessly, though. Only two people, as far as she was aware of, had been able to do such a thing.

Hesitantly, Sakura tried to sense the chakra once more.

Same place.

They weren't moving and didn't seem to be planning on doing so any time soon.

Whoever it was, they were fairly close to the camp, meaning she would have to check it out. Should she wake the others first? What if it was a false alarm, though? Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the five who were still sleeping peacefully. The chakra clearly hadn't disturbed them. Had it been a threat, Sasuke would have woken up immediately. Only if it wasn't familiar, of course. Years ago, Minato had once managed to pop in and out of existence right before her very eyes and Sasuke hadn't stirred once.

This person was not Minato, though. They didn't feel like an enemy, but Sakura knew she would have to be careful. The chakra was strong and dark.

Making a single hand seal, Sakura created a clone, leaving it there with the teams before she was walking towards the person. Again, they didn't move. Surely they could sense her presence? It wasn't like she was attempting to hide herself. The last thing Sakura needed was to startle a possibly powerful shinobi. Worse, they could be injured and could attack on sight in an attempt to protect themselves. Maybe that was why they weren't moving? Holding back her urge to frown, Sakura picked up her pace, running towards the chakra and it was only seconds later that she burst into a peaceful clearing beside a lake, but the sight of the other person had her breath leaving her, had her coming to an abrupt halt.

She knew him.

No, no she didn't, but they'd met before.

"You again!"

The figure did not turn towards her. Instead, it remained motionless, seeming to stare out at the lake which seemed almost black in the dark night. Sakura didn't want to take another step forward to find out whether or not he was actually watching the water, just in case she scared him off or startled him. He didn't seem to be injured, either.

He was wearing the same cloak as that day along with the same hat, and it kind of made her feel as though it was only yesterday that she had last seen him. It made Sakura feel like she was a twelve-going-on-thirteen year old girl again, one who was in way over her head and at the risk of dying. Just his aura _screamed_ strength and power and it felt incredibly suffocating to her, making it difficult to stay focused on him for too long.

"You saved us," Sakura forced out her words, trying not to focus on his aura for too long. There was something off about it. Something dark. It warned her not to piss the guy off or offend him. "Years ago. You left before I found out your name, though."

"My name…" came his eventual reply over half a minute later. His voice was slow, languid yet at the same time, smooth and soft. "Is not important."

Wow, so he was playing the whole mysterious game? Tch. That would have worked better had her teammates not been Uchiha fucking Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi. "Then what village are you from? I'm guessing you're a rogue-nin considering…"

"Considering?"

She shook her head. What village he was from didn't matter. Not if he was a rogue-nin. "Who are you? I want to know so I can thank you properly."

Something about him changed but it wasn't in a bad way. For some reason, the air around them felt warmer and then when he turned to the side, keeping his head lowered so that she couldn't make anything out other than his lips, Sakura saw them pull upwards into a smile.

It was a beautiful smile.

"You do not need to thank me, Haruno Sakura," he murmured, his voice sounding soft as it caressed her ears. She didn't even have the chance to feel shocked that he knew her name, because he hit her with another bombshell. "If you wish to repay me, however…" There was a pause as he watched Sakura raise her eyebrows in question. "Continue training. You are definitely improving."

And then he was gone. Like he hadn't even been there in the first place.

Sakura sucked in a deep breath as soon as he was, the heavy feeling in the air vanishing the second he did.

But like that day almost three years ago, one question plagued her mind.

_Who the hell was that guy?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bear with me while I figure this site out!
> 
> I'm aiming to post a new chapter every few days/every week. The story is already complete on my FF account, but I'm combing through each chapter to try and make sure there's no errors, since I started writing this over five years ago.


	3. Not Quick Enough

**Chapter 3**

**Not Quick Enough**

* * *

As she made her way back to the camp, Sakura tried to get her head around the fact that he was still hanging around. Or was he? _Who was he?_

The rest of the teams were still sleeping when she returned and the second she did, Sakura nodded once to her clone, who instantly disappeared from existence. All the information that swarmed her suddenly was boring and unimportant. During her absence nothing thrilling or dangerous had happened, unless you classed Naruto passing wind as dangerous, which some people (Kiba, for example) did.

Sakura fell back into her previous seat by the fire and shut her eyes, breathing deeply.

It felt like only yesterday that she'd last seen him. Everything about him was the same. The cloak, for example. It was the same. Black with those strange red clouds and the high collar of it made it close to impossible to see his face. Hell, Sakura hadn't even been able to see what colour his hair was! That was partly due to his hat, too. Due to it being fairly dark, she hadn't been able to see what the hat was made of, but it was light in colour. It was definitely a conical hat, though. Most likely made of straw. The added small ornamental torques as well as tassels made it even more difficult to see his face. Only because he allowed it did she see his smile.

Those lips… They'd been full and soft looking. Gentle, even. It was a beautiful smile and Sakura found herself wanting to see his whole face. Was that foolish of her? Naïve? Childish? No, Sakura would not say that she was caught up on the guy, because she knew very little about him, but there was no denying that she was fascinated by him.

Out of nowhere he just turned up and saved her team, contacting the Hokage so that a rescue team would be sent out. And now, there he was again. Why? Was he watching over her?

Sakura scoffed at her thoughts, forcing herself to stop getting so carried away. This was no romance novel. More than likely, he was just passing through and happened to recognise her. After all, she was kind of hard to miss. How many people had pastel pink hair and bright green eyes? Not only that, but if there was a chance that he was watching over her (and that chance was ridiculously slim), then he would be watching over the entire team. Not just her.

Exhaustion tugged at her, demanding that Sakura finally got some rest and deciding that it would be best, she moved over to Naruto, shaking him. He was the next to take watch and as soon as they swapped places and Sakura was certain he wouldn't fall back to sleep, she pulled her sleeping bag higher until it was tucked under her chin, welcoming the exhaustion that felt as though it was more like a comforting blanket.

* * *

It was a surprisingly peaceful sleep, considering their location. However, when she woke up to see Ino holding up two scandalously short civilian dresses, all feelings of peacefulness evaporated, almost like they hadn't been there in the first place. There was no use in arguing with her, either. Not only because it would be a huge drain on her energy (energy she needed for the mission), but also because they had to put the mission first. If going into the closest town wearing such things helped, then Sakura knew she had no choice but to accept it. Being a shinobi was all about having to endure and right now, she apparently had to endure looking like a cheap, _underage_ prostitute.

Snatching the dress out of Ino's hands, Sakura glared angrily at nothing in particular and stomped off into the nearest bush, tugging and throwing her own clothing to the ground once she was hidden. Just as quickly, she got dressed into the outfit Ino had packed and inwardly called the blonde every horrible name she could think of. The stupid thing barely reached the middle of her thighs. No, not even there. It just about covered her ass! Oh Gods, the shame. She'd never felt so… _naked_ before. Usually, if she was wearing a short skirt or much too short shorts, then something else would be there to keep her from showing too much. For example, shorts would be under the short skirt or something like her apron skirt would be over her short shorts.

It was a nice dress and would have been beautiful had it not been for the length of it. The colour of the dress matched her apple green eyes, but it clung uncomfortably close to her body, so much so that it felt like she couldn't even breathe properly. Sakura understood why though after she fixed the thin spaghetti straps. It pushed her breasts up, to the point where they looked as though they were about to fall out of her dress. Only a second later and Sakura realised why it was such a revealing dress. Ino had bought it a size too small and as she focused carefully on the hem of the dress, she could see that it wasn't the same style of stitching as everything else. She'd cut it.

Reluctantly, Sakura left the safety of the bush and looked around the group warily, tugging on the end of the dress. It felt like her entire ass was on show and just one wrong movement would reveal even more. She would have to walk slowly and carefully. Also, there would be no bending over.

"Sakura-chan, you look–"

"Don't say it," she snapped at Naruto, whose eyes were hungry as they looked her up and down. Of course, he would not be used to seeing so much of her body on show. Even Sasuke looked rather speechless as she looked over to him. "Ino, did you really have to cut the dress so short?"

At her words, Ino appeared out of a different bush but there wasn't as great of a reaction considering it wasn't that different from her usual outfit. A short black skirt and a tight, purple crop top. "Don't complain, Sakura." Ino sighed, brushing her hands down her sides. Then, her eyes met Sasuke's and a coy smile graced her lips, the sight of it making Shikamaru roll his eyes. "What do you think, Sasuke-kun?"

"It doesn't suit her."

The smile vanished and Ino growled. "_Her?_ I meant me!"

A pause. "It suits you."

Sakura couldn't help but be hurt as she listened to Sasuke's words and saw Ino smiling victoriously. It didn't suit her? Why, because she wasn't as curvy as Ino? Or was it because her breasts were just about half the size of hers? What–

"I think it suits you, Sakura-chan," Naruto told her with a bright smile. "Don't listen to that bastard–"

"It doesn't."

The blond was quick to turn to face Sasuke, glaring viciously at him. "Shut up! You're upsetting Sakura-chan!"

He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Why?" Sakura forced herself to ask when Ino disappeared over to Shikamaru and Choji, and she was once more pulling at the ends of her dress. "Is it because Ino is more–"

"You don't suit looking like a whore," muttered Sasuke and his eyes narrowed on her seriously. "And you're not comfortable in your own skin. It shows and that's why you don't suit the dress. If you plan on completing this mission, you need to look more comfortable."

So it wasn't because Ino was more womanly than her? Sasuke simply thought she didn't suit it because she didn't suit dressing like a whore? Was that a compliment? Even if it wasn't, it felt like one. In some strange way, it was like Sasuke was telling her she had class and it made her heart warm with happiness.

Oh, she was over 'being in love' with Uchiha Sasuke, but that didn't mean she wasn't happy to receive praise and compliments from him. They were so rare to receive.

Wait…

A slow smirk pulled at her lips. "You said she suited the outfit."

Sasuke did not reply and instead went about going through his weapons, making sure everything he needed would be there.

* * *

It felt colder than usual, but Sakura knew that it was because she hardly had any clothes on. Also, due to her state of undress, she was receiving quite a few stares from both men and women. They were not the kinds of looks she liked receiving, though Ino didn't seem concerned by them in the least.

That was something Sakura had always been jealous about: Ino genuinely didn't give a shit what people thought about her. She _knew_ she was beautiful. She _knew_ she was smart and talented. If people didn't like her? Then screw them. They weren't worth her time or effort. Sakura, on the other hand, agonised over the fact that people didn't like her and spent hours, if not days, trying to figure out why, trying to find out what was wrong with her and how she could fix it.

However, out on the mission, none of those were allowed to matter. So, Sakura held her head high and regarded each person passing by her like they were below her, following Ino's lead with surprising ease. How many times had they played dress up in either one of their bedrooms? How many times had they taken turns being the queen or Hokage or anybody such as that?

When they entered a bar, Sakura made sure to discreetly take note of all exits. Four, that she could see and they were all in different places of the bar, giving them plenty of exits should the situation call for it.

She liked to think she had the same strut as Ino's nailed down, but Sakura knew that that probably wasn't the case. She felt rather foolish just trying it, though hid her unease well and kept repeating that it was a mission in her mind. For missions, there was always something you didn't want to do and some things were worse than others.

Many eyes followed them and knowing that they could be potential targets, knowing that they could possibly have information they needed, Sakura made sure to meet their eyes, offering them coy smiles and glances. Ino continued to act like they didn't matter up until she reached the bar, leaning forward and exposing a great deal of cleavage to the bartender. Sakura listened in on the brief conversation, though continued to focus on her surroundings. So far, there didn't seem to be any shinobi. Most of the people in the bar were far too relaxed, not to mention there was nothing in particular that stood out and demanded her attention.

Civilians and shinobi differed in ways, after all. Their chakra, for starters, was much weaker than a shinobi's and was hard to pick out if a civilian was in a crowd of shinobi. If it was the other way around, however, the shinobi's chakra would stand out like a sore thumb. Had Sakura been a sensory type, then maybe she could have picked out a civilian in a crowd of shinobi. But that was someone else's concern.

"_Sakura."_

The voice in her head nearly caused her to drop the drink Ino suddenly handed to her, but Sakura made a smooth recovery and smiled gratefully at her, all the while hissing back to her via her thoughts, "_Don't do that!"_

Ino didn't so much as blink as she glanced over at a table and gestured to it with her thumb. "Let's sit there." It was only after Sakura had agreed that she continued, "_The bartender was surprised to see us here. Apparently this place has been pretty dead lately and nobody wants to come here."_

It didn't look all that dead to her, Sakura thought suspiciously as she once more scanned the room, pretending to be interested in her surroundings. It was mostly men who were there and in total, she would say there was at least fifteen people in the bar – seventeen if you were included herself and Ino.

"_Did he say why?"_

She took a sip of her non-alcoholic drink. "_There's been trouble around here with some bandits."_

Bandits were always bad for business, more so than rogue-nin. Why? Because half of the time, they didn't know what the hell they were doing and _always_ caused destruction in their wake. All they did was take, take and _take!_ Rogue-nin, on the other hand, accepted missions from people who didn't mind working with them. It wasn't always honest work (from what she had learned from Tsunade) but it was much better than what bandits did for money. In all honesty, Sakura didn't know too much on either subject. She didn't personally know any rogue-nin or bandits and the closest she'd come to knowing a rogue-nin was the one time Naruto had threatened to leave home, because he was sick and tired of people treating him in a way he didn't want to be treated.

Don't even get her started on that. One moment, she and Sasuke had been waiting to start their daily training with Team Seven and then the next, Naruto arrived, screaming and shouting about leaving the village to track down his father's sensei, Jiraiya. Minato must have thought training with Jiraiya would be good for Naruto because only a few months later, the toad sage was returning to the village and accepting Naruto as his student.

"_Do you think they've contacted any villages yet?"_ Sakura also took a sip of her drink, hiding her grimace at the sourness of it. "It's a nice day today, isn't it?"

"Yeah." It seemed she was answering both questions at once, leaving Sakura to bite her lip. "_According to the bartender, shinobi have been coming and going, but that could be anything."_

She agreed. "_They could just be passing through."_

"What's our plans, then?" Ino asked brightly, smiling down at Sakura.

They had to keep up appearances. Talking via Ino's mind jutsu was a risky thing, especially in such a public place. Staring at each other, though not uttering a single word, could be taken the wrong way or could make them look a little unnerving. It would make people suspicious and gain unwanted attention. After all, in a couple of the five great nations, such as Wind and Earth, same sex relationships were against the law.

"What about a walk around the town? See what it has to offer."

See what information they could retrieve from local gossip.

Ino nodded once. "I was hoping you'd say that!"

* * *

Maybe a henge should have been used?

Fingering the ends of her hair, Sakura looked up at the sky with a slight squint. People were definitely staring, though now she was torn between whether it was because of the outfits or because of her hair. Everybody in the small town had brown hair, though all in different shades. Even Ino's hair colour stood out.

The reason why they hadn't bothered with a henge was because nobody really knew who they were. Sure, Sakura was known as Tsunade's disciple, but nobody really knew what she looked like due to keeping their heads down during her training to avoid trouble. They just knew her by name and through rumours. As for Ino, she didn't really have any distinguishing features other than her beauty, so it couldn't be confirmed that she was Yamanaka Ino. Neither of them were in any of the Bingo Books, either.

For the past three hours, she and Ino had been strolling around the town, though found that it didn't have all that much to offer. From gossip, however, they'd discovered that two rogue-nin, who matched the descriptions of their targets scarily, had been seen around the village a handful of times. Their arrivals were always quiet, as were their stays, but when they left, it was usually with a bang and when Sakura said 'bang' she meant battle.

Why would they return, though? Any normal shinobi would have found somewhere more secure to stay, somewhere where they–

That was it!

They continued to stay in the town because it wasn't what others would expect. Incredibly risky, if you asked her. Hunter-nin and those with a great sense of smell wouldn't be fooled for long, if at all. It was probably why they always left with a bang, because they had no other choice but to fight for survival.

Looking away from the bright blue sky, Sakura was startled when her eyes landed on a figure standing on top of a building in the distance. All they were doing was standing there, facing in her direction and she could _feel_ their eyes on her. Who was it? They were too far for her to be able to make out any details, but if Sakura had to guess and if she believed her gut instinct, then…

No, it couldn't be.

It couldn't be _him_, could it?

"Hey," Ino tugged on her arm, causing Sakura to look over at her, "what is it? You look spooked."

"It's nothing." She _was_ spooked. What if it was the man from the night before? What did he want with her? Her team was not around. It was just her and Ino. It was honestly beginning to creep her out a little. What if he was a stalker? "I thought I saw something."

And when Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the same spot, she found herself feeling vaguely disappointed that the figure had gone.

"Nothing important, I hope."

"No… Nothing important," she murmured with a soft frown.

* * *

"We shouldn't be doing this, Ino."

"Come on, Forehead!" the blonde sighed with annoyance, sending a glare over her shoulder. "We can't go back with nothing! We'll be letting the team down."

Yes, but they would live another day. What they were currently doing was risky, way too risky and shinobi always tried to think a few steps ahead of their opponent. Doing that at that moment in time was impossible, because they had no idea what to expect.

"Ino–"

"Shut up arguing with me," she hissed in response, not even listening to Sakura's input. "Stop being such a wimp. All we have to do is investigate the place. Chances are, the rogue-nin won't even be there."

Still… What if they were? They were told, _warned,_ to avoid battle with them. Sakura rubbed her arm restlessly, trying to rid herself of her goosebumps. It wasn't even cold, yet her entire body was covered in them. Her heart was beating quicker than usual and the hair on the back of her neck was standing on end. Oh and she couldn't forget the fact that her stomach was churning so badly that she almost had to stop every now and then, fearing that she was about to lose her lunch. Why couldn't Ino feel the same thing she could? Sakura found herself growing more and more annoyed with her best friend. What they were doing was dangerous and could put the entire team at risk. Hadn't Asuma ever taught her what Kakashi had taught them? About how it was important to put the team before the mission?

No, it wasn't Asuma's fault. He was a great sensei. Perhaps not the best, but still great and he did his best to teach his team everything he knew. Ino had a very competitive nature and just the thought of the guys gathering more intel than them would be making her blood boil.

As for Sakura, her blood was cooling, to the point where it felt as though it was freezing in her veins.

_Something wasn't right_.

The feeling had been plaguing her since she caught sight of her saviour – that was what he was now dubbed as, since he refused to give her his name. The only time he'd shown up (not including the night before) was when the team was in danger. Was that why he was sticking around? To save them again? And if he was, then why?

Finally, the cabin they'd heard about through the local gossip came into view and they both froze at the sight of the door opening and closing. Without another thought, they leapt up into the nearest tree and crouched down, hiding in the thick cover of leaves and branches.

Hesitantly, Sakura reached for her earpiece, pressing it down.

Ino caught her hand and once more, her voice drifted into her mind. "_Wait. It might not even be them."_

Why was she risking it? Why–

"_Aren't you tired of walking behind them, Sakura?"_ Ino questioned seriously, irritably. "_Shikamaru's already a jonin and Choji's mastered all of his clan's techniques! They're leaving me behind and I can't stand it. Are you telling me you don't mind watching their backs all the freaking time?"_

Her questions had Sakura lowering her hand to the branch they were crouched on. Why bother asking such questions when Ino knew exactly what she was thinking? No, Sakura didn't like watching their backs and walking behind them, but what choice did she have? Until she was ready, until she was at their level, she would never have the honour of walking by their sides, of making them watch her back for once. In the end, she would only be a nuisance and in their way, possibly putting the whole team in danger all because she wanted to prove a point. It just wasn't worth risking her boys' lives. That was why Sakura just couldn't agree with Ino's selfish reasons. No matter what, she knew she would always put the team before a mission. She would always put her team before her own needs. If that meant watching their backs for a little while longer, then so be it. They were–

Talking reached her ears and Sakura froze, quickly masking her chakra to a much less noticeable level and as she did, she noticed that Ino did the same. Unlike herself, however, the blonde wasn't frozen in her place. She was leaning forward.

"_Make sure that thing doesn't get out again,"_ the voice was male, shouting from the inside of the cabin just as another man stepped out of it. "_I'm not chasing it this time."_

Chasing it? What thing? Sakura frowned in confusion and slight intrigue, though she refused to admit it. What Ino was doing was still wrong and stupidly reckless, but it wasn't like Sakura could just leave her, was it? Something could happen and if it did, then she would never forgive herself. It would be better to be there, to help and heal and protect her best friend, than letting her die alone.

That had to be Sakura's greatest fear: dying alone.

Shaking the thoughts off, she focused on the conversation once more.

"_Don't worry about her,_" said the man who was pausing in leaving the cabin. From what she could see, he was tall with dark hair and equally dark eyes, with a faint tan to his skin. He wasn't all that tall, though, despite being quite bulky. "_She obeys her master."_

Her? Master? Not only her own, but also Ino's fists clenched tightly. Had they kidnapped a woman? A child? Were they forcing her to be their slave? To follow their every order? To call them _master?_

Suddenly, a certain smell blew by them with the next gust of wind and vaguely recognising the scent, Sakura took another quiet sniff of the air, only for her eyes to widen a second later and snap to Ino's.

"Don't–"

But her hissed order was unheard, for just like she knew it would, the blonde began to have a sneezing fit after inhaling the cat fur.

Damn it. Damn Ino and her damned allergies!

"_Somebody's out here!"_

At least they knew who the slave was. Only, she wasn't actually a slave. It was their cat that they were worried about escaping. Typical.

"Great," Sakura spat out in Ino's direction and quickly pressed down against her earpiece. "Guys, we need back up as soon as you can get here. We've been caught."

There was no use in trying to escape, not if the guys were the ones they were supposed to be getting information on. Apparently one of their mind abilities rivalled that of the Yamanaka Clan's, so it would be foolish to try and escape. Quite possibly, they could read minds.

"You didn't have to–"

"Shut up, Ino!" she snapped. "We're not supposed to even be out here, let alone confronting the targets!"

With that, Sakura dropped from her place on the branch with Ino a second behind her. When the blonde tried to step forward, however, to make herself seem like the team leader, she held out her arm, forcing her back and ignoring the angered glare that was settled on her. Already, Ino had screwed up the mission – which was now a failure, by the way. The second they were discovered was the second they failed.

It was the first mission since _that_ mission Sakura had ever failed.

The first man was joined by a second. This one was much taller than the first, easily towering over them all, but he definitely wasn't as muscular as his partner. His eyes were a piercing blue, kind of reminding Sakura of Ino's, but his hair was a dirty shade of brown. If it had been blond, then she would have been suspicious of him being a Yamanaka clan member turned rogue.

They were both wearing dark clothing, the sort that helped them blend into forests while travelling and the area surrounding the cabin didn't offer much space for battle. That meant they would have to fight close-range. That was fine by her. Ino, however…

Not for the first time, Sakura cursed her best friend and her competitive personality. Why? Because even though Ino had mastered a great deal of her clan's jutsu, she had not improved that much in taijutsu. Her speciality was the mind and even then, the blonde had to concentrate completely on what she was doing. It was still difficult for her, just like Sakura had difficulty with controlling the flow of chakra she was storing away.

"_We're on our way,"_ came Shikamaru's voice in her ear. It was laced with authority and his tone was deadly serious. "_Try to stall them. Don't attack head on. Do you understand, Ino?"_

From behind her, Ino gritted her teeth. These were direct orders from their captain and she knew she couldn't disobey. "Got it."

"What do we have here?" the tallest of the two men was the one who spoke, eyeing them up.

The smallest man was sneering at them. "Looks like a couple of whores who've strayed too far from town."

Whores?

_Whores?_

Sakura's blood began to boil.

"Maybe we should teach them–"

"Don't even think about it," Ino snarled and from her hair, she pulled out several senbon, effectively causing her long hair to fall from its pinned up state to its regular ponytail. There were a lot more waves in it than usual due to the previous hairstyle. "Take another step towards us and we'll prove to you both that we're more than just pretty faces."

Was Ino making the situation worse, or better? Sakura couldn't even tell. All she knew was that things weren't looking good for them and she was growing angrier by the second. At Ino, at the men and at herself. All for obvious reasons.

"Oh?" They both laughed loudly, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "I already know what you're both capable of." The first man tapped his head, smirking. "I'm already in those heads of yours."

Green eyes widened.

"Don't fall for it, Sakura," snapped Ino seriously. "He won't be getting into either of our heads that easily."

Her words displeased the pair of them, it was obvious from the looks on their faces. The taller man was now emotionless, though his eyes were hard and the smaller man was glaring hatefully at them.

"So you're talented with the mind, too?"

"I'm the future clan head of the Yamanaka Clan," she spat in return. "It'd be a disappointment if I weren't."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "The Yamanaka Clan, huh? I should've known. Like most freak show clans, you all look the same. Inbreeding, no doubt."

Sakura strengthened her stance, preparing herself for Ino's outburst.

There was none.

When she risked a glance over her shoulder, Sakura was stunned to see that her best friend was focusing hard and shutting her eyes, forming a single hand seal. If she didn't know any better, than Sakura was willing to bet that that was her mind reading jutsu, or perhaps even her mind transfer jutsu – the one where she transferred information, not minds, of course.

"You're from a low class clan of shinobi," she murmured and her frown deepened, like she was concentrating even harder. "Weak. You have no talent at all in taijutsu or genjutsu. All you–"

"How the hell is she in your head?" the smaller man snarled at the obvious leader of the two.

Sakura was startled when she noticed that Ino's nose was beginning to bleed, a clear sign that she was putting too much strain on her mind. "Stop it, Ino. You know the risks–"

"Push your mind too far, _girl_, and you won't even live to regret it. You won't get through all the barriers of my mind."

But that wouldn't stop her from trying and it _terrified_ Sakura. Why was she pushing herself so hard? To prove a point? Was it really worth her life?

"Dei. Your partner… Hisashi."

Finally, it must have become too much for Ino, because her legs weakened and her eyes snapped open, the jutsu being broken by the lapse in concentration. Sakura was there in an instant and holding her up, allowing her best friend to sag against her.

At least they had names now. The tall guy was Dei, while the small guy was known as Hisashi.

"Seems like that's your limit." Dei smirked nastily.


	4. Stop It!

**Chapter 4**

**Stop It!**

* * *

"Seems like that's your limit." Dei smirked nastily. "You still have a long way to go before you're up to my level, kid."

Ino was quiet, but the hate in her eyes _screamed_ volumes.

Hisashi, otherwise known as the shorter man, stepped forward, watching them suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"

They couldn't act dumb now. There was no way of charming their way out of the mess they'd gotten themselves into. Why was it both their faults and not just Ino's? Well, Sakura had more than enough strength to drag her away, didn't she? She could have just manhandled her. Threw her over her shoulder or something of the sort. Many times before (since enhancing her strength, of course), Sakura had done the same to Naruto. That or punched him high into the sky and across the village. Before Ino had even thought of the plan, she should have known about it and should have stopped her. Now, they were both in danger.

"We heard about you," Sakura murmured, shifting Ino's arm over her shoulder and tightening her hold around the blonde's waist. "From the villagers. They said they see you coming and going all the time, and that you cause a great amount of trouble for them when you're leaving."

Hisashi frowned up at Dei.

She'd never been the best liar, Sakura knew that, but when it really counted, she knew she was capable of it. Whether they believed her or not… "We heard all about your ability," she spoke to Dei and then looked to Ino. "It's… It's like hers. We wanted to know–"

"If you could join us?" question Dei. "If I could help you in becoming stronger? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Sakura shook her head quickly, her heart palpitating with fear. "No, I just–"

"Your friend has already told us she's from the Yamanaka Clan – the future head, to be more precise! This is your mission, isn't it? To spy on us. To capture us. To kill us. Which one is it?"

Wow. He was quite paranoid, wasn't he? Then again, Dei was a rogue-nin. Every minute of every day, he had to look over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following him and he wouldn't be able to fully trust anyone, in case they tried to capture or kill him.

Wait.

Rogue-nin.

It didn't take all that much effort to force fake tears to fill her eyes. They wouldn't fall, but they were there and it seemed the sight stunned them all. "Please. We had to leave our village."

Hisashi's dark eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because of me," Ino whispered, thankfully catching on and not taking even a second to play along. "I disobeyed our Kage and if it hadn't been for her… I would have been executed."

"So you have hunter-nin on your asses and you want to be better prepared," the smaller one muttered and once more looked to Dei. "What do you think, Dei? Are they telling the truth?"

For a moment, there was silence and during that pause, Ino's fist clenched against Sakura's shoulder, trembling ever so slightly.

"Open your mind to me," Dei muttered and his eyes never left Ino's for a second. "Take down the barriers and let me read _both_ of your minds."

If that happened, though…

"I can't do that," the blonde's voice was strong and her features were set into a grim mask. "I–"

"Don't make me use force," his voice was a murmur now and was just as serious as Ino's. "Your mind is already fragile because of the strain you just put it through. I'm a reasonable guy, Yamanaka, but even a saint has his limits."

A minute went by and then another. The entire time, Dei stared Ino down, trying his best to get into her mind.

Sakura swallowed hard.

"_We're almost there. Keep stalling."_

Blue eyes widened.

Dei's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Stalling, huh?" Hisashi suddenly spat.

Sakura reacted quickly to the sight of Hisashi reaching into his pouch, shoving Ino behind herself and freeing her hands, clenching them tightly into fists.

"Sakura–"

"Stay back, Ino. You need to recover." Her eyes narrowed on the two men. "Got it?"

Technically, she was Ino's superior, but it was surprisingly rarely ever used in arguments. At that moment in time, however, Ino knew not to question her and Sakura was grateful for that. If they attacked, they both knew that she would be able to handle herself to an extent. The blonde, however, was weakened. She needed to recover and replenish her chakra.

"I wouldn't recommend fighting us, little girl," sneered Hisashi as he revealed two kunai, one in each hand. "Especially not alone."

The second the kunai left his hands, Sakura flung two of her own to deflect them, charging forward and meeting Hisashi head on. He swiftly dodged her fists, much to her annoyance, but she dodged his just as easily and tried her best to make up for missing him by adding more chakra to her blows. But he seemed to be anticipating her every move. And Sakura knew exactly why, thanks to Minato's warnings. It was why they weren't supposed to confront the rogue-nin or fight with them. They were way above their level and it was too risky for them.

There was no getting used to the mess of emotions that swamped her when she was in a battle to the death. Adrenaline never failed to wash over Sakura in huge waves, helping her to keep fighting even while injured or weakened. Then came the fear. Just one wrong move and it was all over. Her life would be over. Happiness and relief came when she won the battle, but they were soon joined by overwhelming despair because it meant that the other person was dead.

You became a killer.

Refusing to think about such things, Sakura did her best to clear her mind, but it proved difficult. No matter how hard she tried to keep her ideas or battle strategies out of her mind, they always popped up and just as they did, Hisashi knew how to dodge or block them.

And then a pained yelp had her blood running cold.

"Ino!" It was nothing more than a terrified screech of her name as Sakura fought desperately against Hisashi, who wasn't allowing her to turn and locate her friend. "_Ino!"_

"_I'm okay. __Just keep fighting, Forehead!"_

They did not have the upperhand. She knew it. Ino knew it. And the two men also knew it, if the horrible smirks on their faces were anything to go by.

Anger exploded within her as Hisashi managed to restrain her, holding her still.

Hell no!

She was Senju Tsunade's disciple!

She was Haruno Sakura!

She would not be defeated by a couple of rogue-nin, by _scum_ who had abandoned their own village!

Chakra flooded down her leg and even though Sakura knew the risks of causing such damage while being unable to move herself, she still slammed the heel of her foot down into the ground, squeezing her eyes shut as it collapsed beneath them. The man held on tighter, yelling in shock, but just as she was certain she was going to fall to her death, pained screams filled the air, the hands around her disappeared and then strong arms wrapped around her.

It felt like they were flying.

For a brief second, Sakura wondered if it was her saviour and couldn't understand the momentary disappointment she felt when it turned out to be her teammate, Naruto. His expression was grim and serious, something that always showed when even he knew that the odds were stacked against them.

"What the hell were you playing at, Ino?" Shikamaru demanded, his anger obvious to them all.

When Naruto landed, he landed beside Sasuke and set Sakura down on her feet between them, the pair of them making sure they left no openings for the rogue-nin to take advantage of. And Sakura knew that, now they were there, they would not allow her to fight. Why? Because they never did. They either got too into the battle and dealt with the problem themselves without even thinking of anyone else's involvement, or they got too overprotective of their teammate and didn't want to risk any harm coming to her. Again, like many years ago, Sakura had mixed feelings about it. For the most part, she loved that they wanted to protect her, that they cared for her so much that they would risk their lives for her. But the other part was angry. Angry because she wasn't some weakling who stayed behind. She was a kunoichi. A powerful one!

Opposite them, the rogue-nin stood side by side, seeming to be assessing the situation and whether or not it was worth continuing with the battle.

"Konoha-nin, eh?" Hisashi murmured, his eyes narrowing a fraction on their forehead protectors. "I thought you'd wait longer before getting involved."

Shikamaru stood in front of his team, in front of them all, and scratched the back of his head, appearing uncaring and like it was all such a bother to him. It was just a front, though and Sakura knew it. "I wish we had, in all honesty." He gave a low chuckle. "I never expected for my team to run straight for you."

Dei watched him suspiciously for a moment. "Your mission is to watch over us, then."

"Yeah." Brown eyes drifted to the side, in Ino's direction. "We were supposed to be discreet about it, too."

The blonde gritted her teeth and looked away.

"You could have gotten your little friend killed, girl," laughed Hisashi loudly as he cracked his knuckles. "I was fighting to kill."

Sakura swallowed, though for the most part, did not show her unease and a second later, Naruto held one arm out in front of her, preparing himself for an attack.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ino looking over at her, her expression somewhat pained, no matter how much she was trying to fight back the emotions. It was the truth, after all. Her stubbornness, her competitive nature, could have gotten them both killed. It could have resulted in the entire team being killed.

She had jeopardised the mission.

And they all knew it.

"She'll learn from it," Choji argued, standing protectively beside his teammate. "Ino always does!"

_That_ brought a smile to her lips, though Sakura knew it wouldn't ease the guilt the blonde would surely be feeling.

"But will we allow for that to happen?" questioned Dei smoothly. "You're saying that like we're going to let you leave without some retribution."

Retribution? Sakura wanted to scoff. These bastards were traitors to their own village. They had abandoned their village and decided to live as criminals. How dare they demand retribution. What sort of idiot didn't expect to have hunter-nin on their asses for being a traitor? Or other shinobi villages to get involved when they started causing trouble for smaller villages?

"Got to admit, Dei," Hisashi spoke conversationally, "I'm kind of disappointed that they sent kids to try and capture us. When Konoha decided to get involved, I was expecting some kind of prodigy like that Hyuuga boy, or the heir to the Uchiha clan."

Sakura _heard_ Sasuke's teeth grit.

"Hell, I would've been happy with the Copy-Nin," the other rogue-nin laughed. "At least he would've been a challenge, right?"

"Instead you got his students," Naruto snarled in return and clenched his fists tightly. "And we're just as tough."

She wanted to smack her hand into her face. There went Naruto and his big mouth. If they weren't already in trouble, then they were now or would be very soon.

"Just because I'm not the heir to the clan, doesn't mean I'm not powerful, either," Sasuke added in a mutter.

"Oh?" Dei eyes widened before he and Hisashi burst into laughter. "Look at that, Hisashi. We've got the next best thing. The Copy-Nin's students. The Hokage's son and Uchiha Itachi's brother."

As soon as the laughter died down, Hisashi was rolling his eyes while twirling a kunai around his finger, looking bored. "What kind of idiot brags about that? Don't you kids know how strong we are? We could take Hatake Kakashi's team hostage, kill the rest of you, and then demand a ransom. Better yet," He looked to Dei with a smirk, "since you're apparently a powerful Uchiha, that means you have activated your sharingan. We could always take it as our own, like Hatake Kakashi did."

Like some unknown command had been spoken, Sasuke's dark eyes faded into the sharingan design and the black tomoe span languidly. "That's not all the Uchiha Clan is known for."

And then his hands were racing through hand signs, just barely giving Team Ten the time to move before Sasuke was breathing out a giant ball of fire, one that was aimed straight at the two rogue-nin.

"Sasuke–"

"Clearly your plan isn't working, Shikamaru!" Naruto snapped, cutting him off. "Either way, we're going to have to fight!"

That was true, Sakura realised. Just the look in their opponents' eyes told her that. Still, a little bit of warning would have been nice, especially for Team Ten who were almost caught in Sasuke's fire jutsu.

"Stay back, Sakura-chan," the blond suddenly told her.

Then, he leapt over the fire and drew back his fist, only briefly surprising Dei, who was standing behind Hisashi as the latter fought against the fire jutsu with a water jutsu.

It angered her to do so, but Sakura moved away from the battle and over to Ino, who was now leaning against a tree.

"Sakura, I'm sorry–"

"Don't." She shook her head and almost automatically, green chakra enveloped her hands. "Let me examine you."

"But–"

"Ino."

Thankfully, the blonde didn't put up much of a fight and Sakura was grateful for that. She had pushed her mind abilities way too far and the damage, as she examined Ino, was obvious. Fortunately for her, however, it was repairable. This time. They both knew just by exchanging a single look that, should Ino continue to push herself so hard, then the damage would be permanent. She could either kill herself, or end up brain dead.

Hearing a yelp of pain, Sakura quickly looked over her shoulder, assessing the battle with wide eyes.

It wasn't fair that she and Ino were being forced to stand back, to watch from the sidelines. In fact, it was insulting. Tsunade had once told her that it was because men thought women were inferior, because they believed women to be the weaker sex. They could not be more wrong. Hell, not too long ago, Sakura had assisted Shizune in helping a kunoichi giving birth. Only hours later and that mother was going out on a mission with her team, determined to do whatever she had to, to make sure Konoha was safe for her child.

"Damn it," Ino muttered, clenching her fists.

Sakura couldn't blame her. After all, it was _her_ team who were unable to fight back to the best of their abilities.

"How much chakra do you have, Sakura?"

She looked back to the blonde, trying and failing to hide her frown. "Just about enough to heal the teams, should they be injured."

Ino nodded once, a look of grim determination on her features. "Mine aren't too great."

It stunned her that she admitted to such a thing. Yamanaka Ino despised appearing as weak. She absolutely _hated_ it when Sakura surpassed her in something, or beat her in something else. Actually, thinking about it now, there was nothing Ino hated more.

So _why?_

A horrible sinking feeling filled her stomach.

"But I've got to help them," she murmured, watching her teammates. "I messed up and because of it, my boys are getting their asses kicked."

"Ino–"

"Don't try arguing with me about it," snapped the blonde. "I'm the one who endangered the entire team, not you and not them. It's my fault."

And before Sakura could even think of a reply, before she could try and argue with Ino to stay back, the blonde was batting away her hands and jumping straight into the battle beside her team, sharing a bright smile with them as she immediately got to work. It kind of made her jealous. If she did that, Sakura knew she wouldn't receive smiles of appreciation or proud smirks. No, she'd probably give one of her boys a heart attack or send them both into cardiac arrest. That was how against they were of her involvement in battle.

But…

Sakura took a hesitant step forward but faltered the second Sasuke shot a dark glower over in her direction, his sharingan easily catching her movements.

No.

She couldn't.

Noticing movement out of the corner of her eye, Sakura looked in Team Ten's direction, narrowing her eyes a fraction at the sight of Ino's intense staring competition with Dei. It was difficult reading her at times such as that, when she was concentrating completely on–

Mind jutsu.

Had she lost her mind? Had Ino already forgotten how far she pushed her mind? To try and compete with somebody with a level as great as Dei's, while still recovering, was stupid. No, it was suicidal. What was Ino doing? Why was she doing it? For her team, but Sakura knew that they wouldn't want her hurting herself for them.

And at the widening of Ino's eyes, at the pure horror that etched itself onto her features, she knew that something bad was coming, especially as Dei's hands raced through seals. His speed had to be up to Kakashi's level and that sickening feeling in her gut increased at the realisation.

What was happening?

The mind jutsu transfer wasn't going to be quick enough.

The look in Ino's eyes as she glanced over at Sakura told her all she needed to know.

She didn't even hear herself _screaming_ Ino's name and she didn't notice when her body responded to the blonde's movements, attempting to catch up and _do something_, ignoring her teammates when they told her not to move. What she would do, Sakura had no idea. All she knew was that if her friend took on a sudden hit in her weakened state, she wouldn't survive. Ino couldn't die. She just couldn't.

"Ino–"

But Ino had always been faster than her.

So all she was able to do was watch in pure terror as Ino skidded to a halt in front of her teammates, a cry of pain escaping her clenched teeth as the force of the blow flung her backwards and closer to her team.

Sakura hadn't even seen the attack coming. All she saw was the blurred movement of Dei's hands.

And in that moment, she felt as though time itself had stopped.

Vaguely, she heard Shikamaru and Choji screaming Ino's name, saw them running towards the blonde as she fell motionlessly to the ground, but she was unable to do anything other than stare with wide eyes. The horror stuck on her face was unable to be pushed away, just like the numb feeling that suddenly blanketed over her.

Dead.

Her best friend was dead.

"Help her!" Shikamaru yelled at her as Choji clutched Ino to his chest, sobbing over her body. "Get over here and help her!"

Sasuke and Naruto were by her side in an instant, the latter bringing her close to him.

"It's too late," muttered the Uchiha, though there was no harshness to his voice. It was quiet, soft. "Even from here, we can see that."

Her throat had been slit, body was littered with kunai punctures.

How was that even possible?

She hadn't seen a damn thing!

Shikamaru shot to his feet, pure rage so obvious on his face and in response, Naruto pulled Sakura closer, holding her protectively and Sasuke moved in front of the pair, holding his arm out to the side, the light reflecting off his katana threateningly.

"Don't do anything you're going to regret." The softness had left his voice now. Now it was threatening, just like his aura. "Make one move towards her and I won't hold back."

"Shikamaru," Choji choked, looking up at his best friend with his agony clear to them all, "don't. It's not what Ino would want."

The sound of laughter had everyone except for Sakura tensing, but it had them all turning towards the two rogue-nin, watching as they laughed at their grief and sorrow, as they laughed at their heartbreak.

It just couldn't be helped.

Sakura's mind was still blank as she shoved Naruto away from herself, as she darted towards the rogue-nin. They ran to meet her head on, but she stunned them all as she came to a sudden halt and slammed her fist into the ground and caused it to shake violently. It threw Dei and Hisashi off their feet long enough for her to launch several kunai at the latter, but it wasn't until Sasuke came down on him with lightning engulfing his katana that the man fell to the ground.

He didn't get back up.

Just as the Uchiha turned to face her, to demand what the hell she was doing, she used her small frame to run around him.

The sight of Dei made her blood boil.

Him.

Her best friend was dead because of _him_.

It was clear to Sakura as her foot connected with his leg, easily snapping it, that Dei was not as great a fighter as Hisashi was. Fast, maybe, but he was definitely not strong and when he was not given the time to prepare or use any jutsu, he was more or less harmless. More than likely, he was the brains and Hisashi was the brute force. That was why they'd gotten so far as rogue-nin, but now that the muscle was dead, the brain was useless. Sakura's eyes were cold and her features were set into a grim, determined mask as she watched Dei try to stand, as she watched him yell in agony. However, when she clenched her fist and tugged on her glove, her hands shook and murderous rage filled her, almost exploding out of her.

"Sakura-chan, don't–"

But she ignored Naruto. She ignored the others.

And then she was slamming her fist into the man's chest, unleashing her unforgiving rage and the destruction caused was devastating.

She didn't even blink.

* * *

None of them were really speaking to each other.

Shikamaru and Choji were sticking together, working tirelessly over Ino whenever they stopped to take a break. They wanted to make sure that, when they returned home, she wasn't still bleeding out and was back in her own clothing. They both knew what it would do to her parents to see her in such a state.

As for her own team…

Naruto tried to converse with her, tried to comfort her, but it was useless. She just couldn't push away the feeling that something was missing in her heart. Ino… She was like a sister to her and now, it felt like part of herself was missing. Who was she going to speak to for the latest gossip, now? Who was she going to get advice from? Who was going to pig out with her on their nights off? Who was going to push her to her absolute limits and beyond with just one single, teasing comment? Who was… Who was going to look out for her?

Every step they took, the closer they got to Konoha, it started to fully sink in.

There was no one. Nobody could fill Ino's place and even if they could, Sakura would never accept them. She and Ino may have had their differences, they may have argued and fought, but they were best friends. Sisters, even. It _killed_ her knowing that Ino had died believing she'd messed everything up.

Was that why she'd given her life for Shikamaru and Choji without batting an eyelash? Because it was her fault? Sakura bit her lip harshly as they entered the village. No, it was because they were her boys. She would have done anything and everything within her power to protect them, even if she was considerably weakened. Unfortunately, her mind jutsu hadn't been powerful enough, so she saved them by sacrificing herself.

The entire journey back to Konoha, Sakura hadn't been able to look at Ino's body once.

It was the middle of the night and she was grateful for that. Having Choji carrying Ino's lifeless body through the village would have traumatised the civilians. It would have terrified the children. Not only that, but Sakura didn't want everyone to watch Ino return in such a way.

Ino had been a proud girl.

Right now… she wasn't… wasn't looking her best, so…

Tears filled her eyes, no matter how hard she fought them back.

Death was such a strange thing. Just knowing that she would never see Ino brushing her long, blonde hair, or smiling, or yelling at her team, or challenging her, or… or yawning… or eating… or… or…

Pain exploded in her chest and it damn near brought her to her knees.

She was really gone.

* * *

Tsunade's eyes widened with horror as she watched them return from their mission, as she watched Choji holding a broken Ino close to his chest, his traumatised face stained with tears and dirt and blood. The others looked no better.

She turned away, gritting her teeth. Not this. Not to Sakura. Her student was still too soft and the death of her friend was going to _break her_. It was going to break her in the same way it broke Tsunade. Even though Dan had been her lover, he had also been her best friend, someone she'd always been able to confide in. _That_ was what had broken her so badly.

Fists clenching tightly, Tsunade faced the returning team once more, watching how Naruto was holding Sakura gently as he guided her into the Hokage's office. She was trembling and clutching at her chest and tears were filling her eyes, but still, despite so very obviously breaking down, she was trying to remain strong.

It was decided. She would not allow Sakura to turn into the mess that she was. She would be there for her, to help her through Ino's death. There was always a light at the end of the tunnel – something she hadn't been able to find for so long. She would make sure Sakura found that light sooner.

* * *

"I will contact her parents immediately," Minato murmured as ANBU took Ino's body away.

Her parents would be able to view her body after she had been properly cleaned up, so that the sight wouldn't be too horrific for them. Not only that, but having a young girl's corpse in his office was… There was no telling how long he would be speaking to them for, or how long it would take for them to report. They couldn't just leave her on the floor to rot, or leave Choji holding her body for the entire time. It was dishonourable.

But Shikamaru shook his head in disagreement. "Please, Hokage-sama. Allow us."

It was only because he knew how close the three families were that he agreed with the Nara, giving him a single nod. Only seconds later and the two boys were leaving and Minato didn't fail to notice the way Shikamaru's eyes hardened as they met Sakura's, like he was accusing her.

He knew exactly why.

"Let go of Sakura-chan, Naruto," Minato ordered softly.

Not only his son's, but also Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Dad, she–"

"Is a kunoichi. Allow her to stand by herself."

Reluctantly, hesitantly, Naruto slowly began to let go of Sakura, though hovered for a moment just in case she needed his support still. She didn't. Instead Sakura did her best to stand tall, swallowing the hard lump in her throat. With a sigh, he stood up and made his way around the desk, standing in front of her and ignoring the two boys who exchanged uncertain looks.

"Don't blame yourself, Sakura-chan."

More tears filled her eyes.

When he spoke again, his voice was softer and his blue eyes were sincere, "You can't save everyone, so do not blame yourself for Yamanaka Ino's death."

The tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

"You–"

"Stop it," she whispered, eyes dropping to the ground. "Please, stop it."

"Sakura–"

"Stop it!" Sakura cried, her hands coming up to her ears and her eyes squeezing shut. "Stop it, stop it, _stop it!_"

The door to his office slammed open, revealing an angry, busty blonde.

"What the hell are you doing to her?" Tsunade demanded, not caring in the least that she had more or less kicked the door down to enter the Hokage's office. Damn it. She'd been able to hear her apprentice's cries from down the hall! "You–"

"Tsunade-sama, you can't–"

"Don't even think about arguing with me when my apprentice is in pain, kid," she spat in Minato's direction, settling him with a dark, deadly gaze. "It will be the last thing you do."

Naruto brought Sakura close to him once more, trying his best to soothe her pain, whereas Sasuke could only stare in muted horror. He'd never seen her in such agony before. Not once had he ever heard her cry like that. No, it wasn't even crying. She was sobbing, _wailing!_ The sound just wasn't human – it was more like a wounded animal and it _hurt him_ for reasons Sasuke couldn't even understand. It made him freeze in his place, made his breathing stop.

As soon as Sakura opened her eyes and saw the blonde waiting for her, holding the door open with a saddened expression, she ran straight to her, straight into the room with the opened door across the hall. Before Tsunade could even shut the door behind them, however, Sakura was falling to the ground and she fell to her knees with her, keeping her close to her chest as she allowed the girl to sob, to grieve for the death of her best friend.


	5. Unwelcome Presence

**Chapter 5**

**Unwelcome Presence**

* * *

It had been almost a year since the death of her best friend and not a day went by that Sakura never thought about it.

Don't get her wrong, it got easier over time. The first month had been agonising and she hadn't even been able to hear Ino's name or look at any of her pictures without succumbing to heart-wrenching sobs that would leave her completely useless. They'd give her awful headaches and make it impossible to move. After that, with some not-so-gentle pushing from her teammates, Sakura got back out there. They were surprisingly patient with her when it came to training and missions, though all were determined to help Sakura grow stronger. If it wasn't for their determination… she wasn't sure where she'd be right now.

And thanks to all of their hard efforts, they were _all_ jonin now.

Zipping up her flak jacket, Sakura glanced down at the pictures on her dresser before grabbing her pouch and attaching it to her hip.

There were four pictures altogether. The first being the original picture of Team Seven. The second being the most recent picture of Team Seven, where they finally caught up to Kakashi in rank and, in Naruto and Sasuke's case, height, too. That one had been taken just after they made it to jonin. The third was of herself and Tsunade, the woman looking proudly at the camera as she placed her hand onto Sakura's shoulder. On the picture, they both had similar expressions, but it was the marks on their skin that stood out the most.

The final picture, was an old one of herself and Ino.

Today was mission day, something Sakura was grateful for. Sometimes being in the village could be overbearing, especially when so many people looked to you for orders or guidance.

About four months ago, Tsunade had allowed Sakura to take the lead on a difficult surgery, one that had taken hours and hours to finish. She was there the entire time, of course, for they couldn't risk somebody's life like that, but Sakura was the one who called the shots. She was the one who gave everyone else the orders.

It was like she never left that room sometimes.

People still looked to her for orders. They still waited for her to decide on what move to make next. If they were in the hospital, then whatever, Sakura didn't mind because patients and their health and safety always came before everything else. But it wasn't just there – it was outside, too.

Responsibility was rather intimidating and… heavy.

She could understand why some people just couldn't handle it.

Tsunade had taken her under her wing, though, even more so than when she had first become the woman's student. For a while, it had been uncertain. For a while, Sakura hadn't wanted to get back out there. She hadn't wanted to face the world after witnessing the death of her best friend and rival. Sometimes, she still felt that way.

Her shishou… She was an amazing woman, to say the least.

Training became more brutal. Work at the hospital became more chaotic. Everything that happened, everything that was thrown her way, was a distraction and Sakura couldn't have been more thankful for that. It kept the pain in her heart at bay until she finally felt ready to mourn. It stopped her from straying onto a self-destructive path just as her shishou had. Putting it off probably hadn't been the best of ideas, but it worked for her. And deep down, Sakura knew that Ino wouldn't have wanted her to forget about her responsibilities as a medic or a kunoichi.

After mourning, her boys were by her side, holding her up and supporting her, waiting until that moment where she felt ready to go on missions again.

Sighing and purging such thoughts from her mind, Sakura slipped her pack over her shoulders and left her apartment, locking the door and sealing it with genjutsu traps on her way out.

About two months ago now, she'd moved out of her parents' place. It was time to become more independent, more _free_. They'd agreed with only the smallest amount of reluctance, not wanting their only daughter to leave the nest _just yet_, at the tender age of sixteen, no less.

She hopped onto the nearest roof and made her way straight to the Hokage Tower. All lights were on, since they were just entering the evening and when she arrived, Sakura found that every floor of the tower was busy. Chunin were rushing around with stacks of paper piled way over their heads, genin were excitedly talking amongst one another and jonin were sighing with either unease or annoyance. It was difficult to tell with most of them. Only momentarily did Sakura wonder what was going on.

The chunin exams would be starting in less than a month and it was once more Konoha's turn to host the exams. According to Naruto, Konohamaru's team would be participating in the exams, so Sakura made a mental note to attend. They would probably never forgive her if she didn't and besides, she'd probably already be there as head medic for those who were injured.

By the time Sakura arrived at the Hokage's office, her team was already waiting outside of it, sitting somewhat patiently on the seats opposite the double doors.

Naruto stood at her arrival, grinning and greeting her enthusiastically, asking how she slept and whether or not she was having a good day so far. She responded with a smile and told him honestly how it had been, asking him the same questions.

They'd discovered over the past year – no, since Ino's death – that they seriously needed to work on their teamwork. Sure, they weren't perfect, not in the least and they still had quite a few bumps to smooth out, but Sakura liked to believe that they were on their way to becoming a normal team. One who could have a conversation that _didn't_ escalate into a full blown argument, or a supposed spar that was actually a battle to the death.

Sasuke was less talkative as she sat down in the seat beside his, but he nodded once in greeting and waited until she had also acknowledged him before looking back to the doors.

"Do you know who's in there?" questioned Sakura quietly.

Dark eyes rolled and annoyance flitted over his features. "My brother."

Oh. Uchiha Itachi. Sakura stole a glance at Sasuke, regarding him silently. Apparently nothing had been resolved in regards to the feud between the two brothers and she wondered idly if either of them were even bothering to reconcile their differences. Part of Sakura hoped so, because losing someone who was like a sibling was agonising, so she couldn't even begin to imagine what losing an actual blood related sibling would be like. However, it was not her place to say such things. If Sasuke wanted to make up with his brother, or vice versa, then they were capable of speaking up. They were both grown men.

Although…

They were both very proud and, from what she had heard about Itachi, _both_ were stubborn with _huge_ sticks up their asses. It could take one of them dying for them to settle the argument, or deal with whatever the hell had happened between them.

Sakura took a deep breath.

It wasn't her place.

Just as the thought entered her mind, the doors to the Hokage's office opened, revealing Uchiha Itachi and his team. It wouldn't be his ANBU team, since they were all dressed in jonin uniform, with their identities on full display for the world to see. It was probably a temporary team, since (if the rumours were true) Itachi only had his ANBU squadron.

"Oh, Sasuke," one of the members of Itachi's team greeted him and vaguely, Sakura recognised him as Shisui. "Got a mission, eh?"

He was reluctant to answer, but did so anyway, "Yeah."

"Finally something above b-rank," Naruto exclaimed with an excited grin. "We've been waiting ages for my old man to see that Sakura-chan's all better now–"

"Naruto," hissed Sakura and she gripped him by the ear, yanking him down to her height. He'd grown so much in such little time that it sometimes made her dizzy. "Don't go telling everyone about my personal business."

"Sorry, sorry," he mumbled while trying not to move too much. "I'm just so happy that he's seeing what we're seeing, Sakura-chan. You're–"

"Naruto," this time, it was Sasuke who cut him off. Standing, he rolled his eyes. "Shut up."

Releasing him, Sakura breathed out a sigh. Like she'd stated: their teamwork was better, much better, but still a little shaky. Sometimes Naruto forgot that, what was said between them, _stayed_ between them. Sasuke could be a little too harsh and blunt with them and as for herself… Well, she really needed to start expressing her anger in other ways, because poor Naruto was going to get tired of taking beatings sooner or later and it never really made her feel any better causing him pain.

"Ah," Shisui murmured and he scratched his head. "Well, we're all glad to hear that."

She almost blushed with embarrassment.

"Do you have a mission, too?" asked Sasuke, taking the attention away from her.

He'd been doing that a lot lately, much to her gratefulness. Whenever things got too intense or too much for her to handle, he stepped in to save the day. Like he always had for her.

"Not until tomorrow," it was Itachi who replied. Then, the older brother turned to face the rest of his team, regarding them blankly. "I expect to see all of you by the gates at the set time."

Wow. With just one sentence, he made it obvious why he was such a highly respected and feared ANBU captain. His sentence held so much authority, so much… dominance, that it _dared_ you to try and disobey him. Being in his presence was scary, Sakura realised belatedly. Just one look from him made her want to shrink in on herself.

Itachi glanced over his shoulder at Team Seven, giving them that blank look that once more made Sakura want to shrink away from him, before murmuring, "I believe Hokage-sama is waiting for you."

Sasuke didn't answer, merely turning and walking away, entering the Hokage's office without knocking and Naruto was a second behind him, wanting to hurry up and receive their mission.

Sakura, on the other hand, offered the other team a polite smile and bowed her head respectively.

And then all but ran to get out of Uchiha Itachi's line of sight.

Personally, she didn't believe there was any need to be so intimidating. It had to get _so_ lonely at times. Not only that, but Sakura felt sorry for the two other jonin on the team. Clearly, Uchiha Shisui was used to Itachi's presence, but the other two didn't seem to be. They looked on edge, like they would rather be anywhere but there. If she wasn't mistaken, then they'd recently made it to jonin, just like her team had. She was sure they'd been there during the exams.

"–so creepy."

"Shut up, idiot."

Sakura paused in her entrance to the office, wondering if she would possibly rather stay in Itachi's presence than her teammates'. They were arguing again. They'd gotten so much better over the past year, too.

Minato offered her a tired smile as she shut the office door and silently made her way to stand beside Naruto, who quickly stopped arguing with Sasuke about how creepy his clan was. The Uchiha, on the other hand, continued to glower at nothing in particular. That was not unusual. Just glimpsing at his older brother or hearing his name pissed him off.

"I'm afraid we'll have to make this quick," spoke Minato as he picked up a scroll from his desk. "The preparations for the chunin exams are hectic to say the least and they need me to be there to go over everything."

That was understandable. As Hokage, Minato had to make sure everything went smoothly, especially considering the fact that _all_ of the other Kage would be attending. If one thing went amiss, if something went wrong, it would all come down to him. Worst case scenario, even if it seemed rather extreme, a war could break out depending on how serious the thing that went wrong, was.

Instead of seeming worried, Naruto waved his hand dismissively with a smug look on his face. "You know Mom won't let you forget anything."

"You're right," smirked Minato, looking so much younger as he did so, "but it is still my responsibility as Hokage." Deciding that was enough time spent on chatting, he immediately handed the scroll over to Sasuke, who was the captain of their team. "You will have tonight to go over this scroll with your team, Sasuke-kun. Make sure they are prepared, Sakura–chan especially, since she is your medic."

He nodded once and pocketed the scroll.

A pause.

It looked like Minato was trying to find the right words to say. "This will be your first mission in a while – above b-rank, of course."

That was true. Despite being fairly proud of how far she'd come since Ino's death, there had still been a few bumps in the road that had yet to be smoothed out. One of those bumps just so happened to be reliability. Could her team rely on her to protect them should they need help? Or would she be too caught up in her own mind and trauma to help? Silently and in some cases, reluctantly, none of them had wanted to risk it. And because she had been on the ban, so had her team. They refused to leave her behind.

"I'm prepared, Hokage-sama," Sakura told him without hesitation, offering a small smile of promise. "Both Naruto and Sasuke-kun can rely on me now."

Minato returned the smile and poked her forehead playfully. "I know they can, but please still be safe."

Even though he was Naruto's father, Minato still treated all of Team Seven like they were his family – Kakashi included. And there were no words to describe how safe and protected that made Sakura feel, knowing she had the Hokage, knowing she had _Namikaze Minato_, on her side and looking out for her. There was a reason why he became Hokage and only a fool would underestimate him.

Noticing that his repeated poking was leaving a faint red mark on her forehead, and she was beginning to grow annoyed, Minato chuckled sheepishly and took a few steps back, clearly not needing a reminder about who Haruno Sakura trained under.

"Please be safe on your mission," he repeated suddenly, giving them all the same serious look. "Remember what Kakashi taught you."

The three of them nodded, silently repeating the words in their mind.

_Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum._

In other words: their lives were more important than a mission.

Protect each other.

* * *

"So…"

Both Sakura and Sasuke groaned with annoyance, the former slapping a hand to her forehead. Despite being the son of the Hokage, despite having many high expectations, Naruto was a bit on the slow side. And it never failed to show.

"Just remember the beginning part of the mission," muttered Sasuke. "We're escorting our client along the border of Kazi no Kuni, up until we reach Ishigakure."

Slowly, Naruto nodded. "And it's an a-ranked mission because…"

They resisted the urge to groan again.

"It's because of who the client is," Sakura replied, trying to be as patient as possible with him. It was hard, though. "Not only that…"

Blue eyes narrowed a fraction with confusion. "But?"

The Uchiha was the one who answered Naruto, who finished Sakura's sentence. When he spoke, he spoke in a tone of boredom, but at the same time, he was serious, "It's also because of who you are."

He was the son of the Hokage. There was also the added fact that he was one of the last of the Uzumaki clan left, due to them all dying out. Sure, Kushina was still alive, but that was beside the point. Naruto had not only Namikaze blood running through his veins, but also Uzumaki.

"The client's enemy will either use Iwa or Suna," he continued and his eyebrows knitted together. "Konoha's alliance with Suna is still shaky, even though it all seems fine on the surface."

Slowly, Naruto nodded. "And our team was chosen because…"

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance and the former bit her lip unsurely. Sasuke, on the other hand, was not easily put off and never held anything back. Instead he turned back to Naruto and his eyes narrowed. "Because you have half of the Kyuubi inside you and you've been using the chakra of the Kyuubi with a small amount of control. That's why we have been chosen. Not even your mother has been able to control the Kyuubi, not even by the smallest amount."

The words didn't comfort Naruto, however. They made him angry. "It's not as easy as you think, you know," he snapped in return, glowering at the Uchiha. "My mom isn't weak."

"Nobody is saying that she is," Sakura was quick to try and calm the blond. The last thing they needed, while in Sasuke's family home, was a fight breaking out. They'd never be invited back. "In fact, it's quite the opposite, Naruto. Your mom's powerful, but even she can't control the Kyuubi. That's what Sasuke-kun was saying."

Nobody really knew the full story behind Naruto's becoming a jinchūriki. It was all kept top secret. The only ones who knew were, obviously, his parents and the Sandaime Hokage. Everyone else only knew the basics. That included herself, Sasuke and Kakashi. Whatever the reason, Naruto was now the host of half of the Kyuubi. His mother housed the other half. They were Konoha's jinchūriki and when things got serious, they were always put on the front line to protect their village, even if their current Hokage detested doing such a thing. That was why they were made into what they were, after all. To the higher ups of _every_ village, jinchūriki were nothing but weapons. Why should theirs be any different?

Only a second went by before Sakura looked away from Naruto, her eyes dropping to the wooded flooring beneath them.

They were sat in the tea room of the Uchiha's family home. Everything was traditional, stiff and spacious, often making her feel uncomfortable, but the tea room was a room she enjoyed being in. It was open, allowing her to feel a breeze of fresh air every now and then due to the double sliding doors being open, revealing a breathtaking view of the family garden, along with the pond filled with Koi.

Once more, Naruto nodded, looking rather grim as he accepted her words and their orders. They knew that he knew they couldn't disobey, no matter how badly they both wanted to for the sake of their friend. It just wasn't fair to him, but there was little they could do. Don't get her wrong, though, because Minato did his best to keep both Kushina and Naruto from having to fight, from having to rely on the Kyuubi's power. If anything, they were their last, _last_ resort. Even Sakura herself, side by side with Tsunade, had been sent out before Naruto and Kushina ever were.

It wasn't just favouritism, though. It was strategic thinking. Neither Naruto nor Kushina could control the Kyuubi and the results could be disastrous should anything go wrong. At best, they would win. However, the chances of hundreds of people dying, of losing their jinchūriki and having not just one, but _two_ tailed beasts set free, was just as high. Or would they be joined together again once released? Sakura pushed the thought away, as it surely wasn't worth thinking about. It was never going to happen. There was no reason for it to ever happen.

"He's the head of his clan," Sasuke added after a few moments of, what felt like, the most intense silence Sakura had ever sat through. "They're civilians, sure, but it's still a clan and they're still powerful. The enemy is supposedly the head of a rival clan, though we have little to no information about them."

That bugged Sakura. They were diving head first into a mission to protect somebody's life – the least the client could do in return was give up information about his own enemy. Unless he didn't actually know anything about his enemy?

"So for all we know," Naruto murmured with a frown, "they could be a clan of powerful shinobi, which is why _we_ were chosen."

"Exactly."

They were not big-headed. They simply knew how strong they were and knew exactly what they were capable of. "What time do we set out tomorrow?"

Sasuke skimmed through the scroll once more and silently went through a few calculations. He had his answer in mere seconds. "Seven." Dark eyes slid over to Naruto's and narrowed fractionally. "You better be there, Dobe."

"Teme! I'll be the first one there!"

Sighing, Sakura sat back and picked up her cup, taking a sip of the tea Sasuke had made for them all. Hers was nice and sweet, unlike his own, which he preferred to take without any sweeteners or any special flavourings. As for Naruto, he stuck to water. The only times he drunk tea was when he was sick or cold.

The door behind them slid open and before she even saw him, Sakura knew who it would be and that wasn't because both Naruto and Sasuke suddenly fell silent and serious. It was because the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and her stomach twisted harshly.

"Mother asks that you keep your obscenities quiet, Sasuke."

The younger brother gritted his teeth.

Risking a glance over her shoulder, Sakura saw that Itachi was standing in the doorway. His expression was one of boredom, like he thought of them all as children and had much better things to be doing than scolding them. Thankfully, however, there was none of that intimidating authority he had been using earlier, so she felt as though she could somewhat breathe around him.

He was still intimidating, though.

"It wasn't me," growled Sasuke in return and his hold on the mission scroll tightened.

Just as he was about to continue, she took a deep breath and stood, turning to face Itachi and bowing her head respectively. "Forgive us." Her heart was hammering and to stop her hands from shaking, she kept them firmly around her cup of tea. "Things always get heated when they disagree. I'll do my best to keep them quiet."

At least there was none of that stuttering, despite her nervousness being obvious.

There was a brief pause until Itachi nodded once, accepting her apology.

When not oozing waves of authority and acting like he was above everyone else, Sakura found that he was fairly pleasant to look at as she raised her head. Okay, that was an understatement, especially considering he was Sasuke's older brother, but still. When he was being all scary and intimidating, she found that she could never really look him in the eye – or the face, for that matter. In that moment, however, as he stood there in his own clothing, seemingly relaxed and at peace in his home, Sakura couldn't help but think he was quite appealing to look at.

The Uchiha had the luckiest gene pool.

"It would be in everyone's best interest that you do, Haruno-san." Then, Itachi's eyes moved over to Sasuke's, still holding that bored gaze. "Father will be home shortly."

And like that was all they needed to be told to be kept quiet, Itachi left the room just as quietly as he had entered.

With a roll of her eyes Sakura turned to face her teammates and settled her hands on her hips. "You could try to be nicer, you know," she told Sasuke. "Your brother was passing on a message–"

"He was trying to tell me what to–"

"He wasn't trying to do anything," Sakura cut him off, still speaking calmly. "All he said was that your mother asked him to tell us to keep it down."

When Naruto nodded in agreement, Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why are you both on _his_ side all of a sudden?"

Not again. She felt the urge to roll her eyes again, but held it back. "There aren't any sides to be on, Sasuke-kun," sighed Sakura. "You're just taking everything Itachi-san says and does the wrong way."

Again, Naruto nodded and it seemed to be the final straw for Sasuke.

"Get out," he growled. "And don't forget to be at the gates for seven."


	6. You Again!

**Chapter 6**

**You Again!**

* * *

"Come on, Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbled and his eyes narrowed on the brown set across from them.

They were blank, with not a single emotion going through them and under those brown eyes were dark circles, which stood out harshly against his pale skin. He never used to be pale. In fact, he was always the most tanned in the Academy.

But things had changed since then.

"I didn't know he was back from his mission."

Neither had she. Looking away, Sakura frowned, trying to ignore the guilt that was curling and uncurling in her stomach, threatening to bring up her lunch. Whenever she saw him around Konoha (which wasn't often, for he was always out on missions), she never failed to feel incredible, suffocating guilt.

"Ino wouldn't like the man Shikamaru's becoming," whispered Sakura in return.

And she wouldn't. Shikamaru was clinging onto the past, refusing to let anything go. He still blamed her for Ino's death, but like he blamed her, his father had blamed him for a short while. Since then, Choji must have spoken with Shikaku, because the man was much more understanding. Or so Sakura had heard. As for Choji, he didn't blame her in the slightest. He was actually the first person who truly hit home with something he'd said. He reminded her of Ino's personality, of how she'd be disappointed with Sakura wasting away inside of her bedroom. It was only the one talk, because after, her team stepped up, realising she was ready to heal. They'd spoken a few times since then, but tried their best to keep the conversation light. The death of their friend was still very raw and unpleasant to think about, so they tried to remember the good things about her.

Shikamaru, however…

Well, at least he was no longer telling Sakura whenever he saw that _she_ was the one who murdered Ino. That… upset her greatly.

Over the past several months, she had come to terms with her best friend's death and after reliving it every single night for a solid four months, Sakura had also realised that there was nothing she could have done. Ino had been dead before she even hit the ground, mainly because of the force of the blows, but mostly because of her throat being slit. Unfortunately, medics were not magicians, no matter how much they wished they were.

Ino had given her life to protect her boys. She had given her life to try and make up for jeopardising the mission. What she had done, so boldly going after the rogue-nin, could have resulted in the entire team being killed and too late, Ino had realised that.

Closing her eyes, Sakura took a deep breath. She was incredibly grateful for Naruto's presence by her side and for the comfort he radiated.

There was no use in telling her "Shikamaru will come around soon" as he had been for the past several months. In fact, after seven and a half months, Naruto stopped saying such things to her because deep down, they both knew it would probably never happen. Shikamaru blamed her for Ino's death and there was no changing that.

When they turned the corner, Sakura knew Shikamaru was still watching them. She risked a glance at him, only to quickly look away again when she saw him watching her, taking a long pull of his cigarette.

Like she'd said: Shikamaru was rarely seen in the village nowadays. Minato gave him mission after mission and there were rumours that he'd even been moved up to ANBU – another reason why they hardly ever saw him around. Part of her was willing to bet that Minato moved him up to keep Shikamaru distracted, to stop him from doing anything stupid, whereas another part of her didn't even want to know why.

"It's not fair that he's still blaming you," growled Naruto under his breath and by his sides, his fists clenched tightly. "We were all there that day. Even _Choji_ understands that there was nothing you could do. Why can't Shikamaru? He's supposed to smart!"

Sakura sighed. "He's still in pain, Naruto. Shikamaru–"

"Stop defending him." The annoyance on Naruto's features was obvious as he whirled around to face her, forcing them to come to a halt just beside a darkened alley. "You're still in pain, too, Sakura-chan. He's making it worse for you."

In all honesty, yes, Shikamaru had made the grieving process more difficult than it already had been, if that was even possible. Every corner she'd turn, he'd been there, staring at her with dark, accusing eyes that _always_ hardened whenever they caught hers.

"Can we just drop it?" Sakura asked quietly. "Please?"

There was a pause, one where Naruto looked ready to argue, or to continue with his angered rant, but he soon released a long exhale and nodded.

* * *

She was up bright and early the next morning. Showered, dressed, eaten her breakfast, gone through her supplies (twice) before setting off to the gates half an hour early.

It probably seemed so eager of her and perhaps she _was_ eager. All that went through Sakura's mind was that it was the first mission above b-rank that they'd had in a while. They couldn't afford to mess it up. _She_ couldn't afford to mess up. As she waited for her team to arrive, Sakura watched many teams coming and going. Some seemed just as eager as herself, all but bouncing out of the village, while others were dragging themselves back into the village, either bloody and broken or just simply worn out.

It was such a beautiful day, she realised belatedly. The sun was shining brightly and there were only a few large, white clouds littering the sky. Gentle breezes rushed by every now and then, feeling as though they were caressing her hair as well as giving her a break from the steadily rising temperature.

Speaking of her hair… Sakura looked down and played with the ends of the pastel pink strands. It was now just below her breast, but she was hesitant about cutting it again. Growing out their hair had been something she and Ino had enjoyed doing. At first, they did it because of a stupid rumour about Sasuke liking girls with long hair. After that, though… Sakura wasn't sure. They'd had fun letting their hair grow, only to have it cut again. There was something so refreshing about seeing your hair in such a healthy condition, in seeing and feeling the silky smoothness of it. After a couple of years, Ino stuck to keeping her hair long, but she still had it trimmed and conditioned at the same time as Sakura had hers cut.

Tsunade reckoned it was because of her grief and her poor diet that her hair hadn't grown as quickly as it used to. Back when Sakura was studying under Tsunade and they were travelling the world with Shizune, her hair had grown quicker than they could keep up with. Every month or so, she would need another hair cut, or at least a trim and tidy up. However, at that time, she'd been eating healthily and regularly exercising. The past several months had literally been the toughest of her life and it showed.

Noticing yet another team approaching, Sakura looked away from her hair and up to the team, only to tense at the sight of Uchiha Itachi. He wasn't looking at her and was instead staring ahead of himself, clearly not listening to the two jonin at the back of the team who were talking enthusiastically between themselves. Behind him was Shisui, who offered her a polite smile and a nod of the head, which she was quick to return.

She liked Shisui. Well, so far, considering she didn't even know the man. Up until that moment, though, he'd been one of the kindest Uchiha Sakura had come across. All others were like Itachi: cold, distant and seemingly uncaring about what was happening around them. And yes, that included her teammate, too. Shisui, on the other hand, made sure to acknowledge people either by smiling politely or by nodding once. Now that she was thinking about it, Obito did that, too. Only, he grinned and waved and did his best to make sure others were comfortable around him.

It was only five minutes later when Sasuke arrived. Hands shoved into his pockets and his backpack resting on his back, he looked over to her and silently walked to her.

"Naruto–"

"Won't be late." She smiled. "I made sure to warn him in front of Kushina-san."

Sasuke nodded once.

Previously, while growing up, Sasuke's silence and his cold aura would have bothered her. Actually, it had always bothered her and if she was feeling particularly sensitive, then it still did. Now she was used to it, though. That was just the way their Sasuke was and both she and Naruto accepted it. He wouldn't be Sasuke if he had a different personality.

"_Good morning, Sakura-chan!"_

She heard him before she saw him, but Sakura was still quick to step back and easily dodge his overly friendly embrace. It was like a game between them now more than an annoyance or Naruto just not understanding that she didn't want to be held by him. Oh, he understood perfectly clear how she felt about his hugs or his attention. That was why Naruto layered the affection on thick. The first one to stop, lost. So she continued to avoid his dramatic outbursts like he had the plague, just like Naruto continued to have his dramatic outbursts.

When Naruto finally managed to grab her, he held onto Sakura tightly and pressed his cheek to hers, ignoring her annoyed growl. "Did you sleep well, Sakura-chan?"

Opposite them, Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Get serious, Naruto. We have a mission."

And abruptly, Sakura was released and Naruto was glowering at the Uchiha. "I know that!"

"Start acting like it, then."

"Teme!"

Not this again. "Shouldn't we be setting off now?"

Turning away from the blond, Sasuke nodded once. "Do you both remember what I told you last night?" They both nodded, now serious. "Stay in that formation until we meet the client. Once he's with us, go to formation C, like Kakashi taught us." Again, they both nodded. "How are your chakra reserves, Sakura?"

There was no point in asking Naruto about his. Even when he looked close to death, he had a ridiculous amount of chakra left. "Full."

He looked vaguely impressed. "Completely?"

"Completely." She smiled. Both Naruto _and_ Sasuke looked proud of her. "I told you both before that you can rely on me now."

"We could always rely on you, Sakura-chan," Naruto corrected, grinning at her. "Now can we set off?"

* * *

She didn't like their client.

The first meeting with him had been shaky to say the least. He didn't like the fact Sasuke was an Uchiha and in return, Team Seven weren't too fond of him. At the end of the day, Sasuke was on a mission to protect him, was willing to put his life on the line to protect him. The least the client could do was show a bit of respect.

His name was something Hiromi – not that it really mattered. As soon as they got rid of him, they would never have to see him again.

That wasn't usually how Sakura entered a mission, with a bad mood and a growing dislike towards the client. Usually, she made an effort to get to know the client and try to make them feel more comfortable around them, since not many civilians did due to them being shinobi. It was only because of the way Hiromi spoke and treated Sasuke that she wasn't friendly towards him. It offended her and hurt her, much more than Sakura would ever care to admit.

Sighing, she shut the door behind herself after waving off her team. Being the only girl on the team had a few advantages and perks – such as having her own room at the inns they stayed in. Most teams wouldn't have bothered with such a thing, believing it to be a waste of time and a pathetic attempt of keeping one's modesty, but thankfully, hers did. They understood her discomfort with dressing down in front of them, or having them seeing her in a state of indecency.

The client, Hiromi, would be staying in the room that was in the middle of hers and the guys'. And of course, due to Hiromi being from a prestigious civilian clan, not _any_ inn would do, but they had to stay somewhere that was well suited for his 'needs'. Whatever they were.

Was she the only one who could see through him? Who could tell that he wasn't being as serious as he should be? Somebody was out to take his _life_! Didn't he care in the slightest? No, no she wasn't. Several times Sasuke had had to silence Naruto from demanding answers.

It was late into the evening by now. At least ten o'clock, if she was not mistaken. A quick glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table confirmed her thoughts. Being inside and unable to get a good read on the sky made it a little more difficult for her to tell the time. Somehow, Sasuke always got it right, but that was probably because of his internal body clock. It was like it _knew_ at all times, what time it actually was.

She placed her pack and both pouches onto the bed, sifting through the former for a clean change of clothes to sleep in. It didn't take her long to find them and once she had them, Sakura placed them onto the bed, next searching for her toiletries bag so that she could take a shower.

Was it stupid of her to pack so much for a mission? Probably, probably not. The thought of being unclean, however, made her extremely uncomfortable. At least she was no longer the bratty, superficial twelve year old who'd use overpowering perfume and strong smelling shampoo and body wash. After Kakashi's relentless comments and teasing about those things, she'd learned to use more subtly fragranced products.

There was no longer any perfume while away on missions, for example. Sakura had learned that guys genuinely didn't care about body odour when it came to missions and battles. As long as she kept them alive and helped out whenever she possibly could, then they didn't care. She could have a second head and they wouldn't care. As for the body wash and shampoo, even though they _did_ have a slight smell to them, it was not nearly as strong as it used to be. The same went for her toothpaste and body lotions. Who said being a kunoichi meant you couldn't look after yourself or your appearance?

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

And that was when she felt it.

Or, more specifically, _him._

How long had it been since she last encountered him?

Hand still hovering over her pouch, Sakura was quick to grab a kunai and whirl around, holding it up in a show of defence.

Why?

Because standing in front of the window, slowly drawing the curtains, was the man who continued to pester her. It was the man who kept showing up whenever she needed him to, whenever he knew they needed saving.

But…

He was not a saviour. He was not some friendly shadow that was looking out for her team. Well, perhaps he was half of the latter, but it seemed he was only looking out for them physically. Had that not been the case, he would have helped more. Maybe Ino wouldn't be dead. Sakura tried her best to push such childish thoughts from her mind. It wasn't his fault, but that didn't stop the bitterness in her chest from expanding at the sight of his now-familiar black cloak with red clouds, as well as his hat. Like every other time she saw the man, his identity was hidden and Sakura couldn't see what he looked like.

Silence.

She waited in tense silence as he turned to face her and even though she couldn't see him, Sakura had a creeping feeling that he could see her, despite the hat shielding his eyes from her.

"Sakura."

Not for the first time, she felt a little uncomfortable with the fact he knew her name. Not just that, but he felt comfortable enough with calling her by her chosen name, instead of her family name. Only people who knew her well were able to call her by her chosen name after being given permission. It was just plain rude, otherwise.

How was she supposed to reply to that? Sakura refused to show her uncertainty and instead narrowed her eyes a fraction, tightening her hold on her kunai. She had no name to call him and like hell she was going to go with 'Saviour'!

"Missing-nin." That was all she could call him, wasn't it?

There was a pause. "You have improved since we last met."

She had the urge to shift her bangs, to cover her forehead, but held off. "What do you want?" demanded Sakura. "For all you know, I could be a hunter-nin now. I could–"

There was a knowing lilt in his tone when he spoke once more, one that had the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck standing on end. "You will never be a hunter-nin," he murmured quietly in reply. "It is not something you wish to be."

He was avoiding her question. And how the hell did he know that about her? "_What do you want?"_

A soft sigh sounded as the missing-nin turned to face the curtain-covered window, his hand raising and feeling the fabric.

And then…

"Do not continue with your mission. It is a failure."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, her hold on her kunai tightening yet again. "How do you know that?"

"I have seen the team that has been hired by your client's enemy." His head turned in her direction, dipping ever so slightly. "If you confront them, I can assure you that not all of your team will return home."

Ino's face flashed through her mind, making her hold on the kunai loosen before she was throwing it with everything she had at the man's head.

He caught it with ease, not even needing to look at her.

"Why are you here?" she demanded angrily, fists trembling. "Why didn't you warn me last time? What do you want with my team?"

Instead of answering immediately, the strange cloaked man turned and walked over to her, taking Sakura's hand and ignoring when she tried to pull it free. Even with enhanced strength, he managed to keep her hand. How was that possible? Then, he placed the kunai into it. It stunned her that he was being so gentle with her. After attacking him like that…

"I am sorry for the loss of your friend," he murmured, his voice soft and soothing. "But this is the life of shinobi, Sakura. You must endure it, no matter how painfully unbearable it can be."

He sounded like he was speaking from experience.

She had the urge to reach out to him, to lift that stupid, stupid hat off his head so that she could see his features. Something about him was familiar. It reminded her of someone, but who? How did she know this person? Why was he making her feel so calm with just a few words? Was he some kind of witch? Was he casting a spell on her? Bewitching her?

Finally, Sakura managed to yank her hand free of his. Not even to herself did she want to admit that it took using chakra to do so. "Get out."

There was a pause and even though she couldn't see him, she had that horrible, creepy feeling once more that he was capable of watching her. "If that is what you wish. Goodnight, Sakura."

Why the hell was he still being so polite? She'd rudely _ordered_ him to leave!

"Wait!" she found herself exclaiming, just as he turned away. When the man tilted his head, silently telling her to continue, Sakura asked, so very quietly that the words barely made a sound at all, "…Why didn't you help?"

That question had been bugging her for so long now.

Apparently, the missing-nin knew exactly what she was asking about, because he sighed.

And much to her surprise, he lifted his hand and Sakura found herself too stunned to stop him as it gently grazed her cheek, catching the tear before it fell. His hand was large and, surprisingly, his nails were painted a dull shade of purple. There was also a ring on his ring finger. It was red in colour with a kanji in the centre. She wasn't too sure because of the angle of his hand, but Sakura was certain that it read 'scarlet'. There wasn't time to think about his almost touching her. The missing-nin's hand continued to hover over her cheek, not exactly touching her, but still allowing her to feel him, in a strange way. Even stranger, his hand wasn't warm. It was cold.

"Forgive me," murmured the man softly. "The last thing I want is to cause you, of all people, pain." She shut her eyes and, confusing herself, relaxed. Something about him made her feel safe, which was something Sakura couldn't understand. Sighing once more, he breathed out, "Please, forgive me."

A rush of air had Sakura's eyes snapping open.

He was gone.


	7. Expect The Unexpected

**Chapter 7**

**Expect The Unexpected**

* * *

"Please, Hiromi-san," Sakura sighed and resisted the urge to shut her eyes against the headache that was already beginning to throb painfully, "we must set off within the next ten minutes otherwise we'll be behind schedule."

But the man was shaking his head angrily, his dark, shoulder-length hair messy from sleep and in need of brushing. "Nonsense. I am paying you all handsomely, so I expect a proper wake up."

What did Hiromi mean by proper wake up? Oh, he only wanted a breakfast feast, a soak in the local onsen (to himself, might she add) and for somebody to come all the way to the inn just to style his hair for him. Honestly! The man needed to wake the hell up from whatever fantasy world he was living in. They were supposed to be moving fast to _protect his life_, yet there he sat, in his overly large bed, acting like this was one huge vacation.

Hiromi was a young man, according to the brief profile they'd glanced at. Twenty-eight years of age, born in the winter and currently on his second marriage. Apparently his first wife had died during childbirth. Don't get her wrong, because Sakura would've had more sympathy, it was just that he remarried less than a month later to the woman he'd been having an affair with. Allegedly, of course. Said woman raised his child as her own, loving the child as she would her own. According to the profile, she was unable to conceive. That made Hiromi seem a little better, in Sakura's eyes. Most men nowadays would have abandoned the woman if she couldn't give him children, especially a man who was the head of a clan and needed an heir.

Then again, Hiromi already had his heir.

"We don't have time for a proper wake up." argued Sakura quietly. "If we linger in one area for too long, it could make us vulnerable."

From the other side of the room, Sasuke took a deep breath to calm his agitation, whereas Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. They'd already been told to leave it to her, as Sakura knew they would use brute force to make Hiromi see things from their perspective.

"Then you will fight!" he snapped in return, glaring at her angrily. "I am paying you to–"

"To protect you. You are paying us to _protect_ you," Sakura cut him off. When she spoke again, her eyes narrowed dangerously and her features were set into a serious expression, "You are not, however, paying us to die for you. I will not, and never will, risk the lives of my teammates for something as ridiculous and tedious as a 'proper wake up'."

"You–"

Finally having enough, Naruto stomped forward and gripped the man by his bed robes, lifting him out of the large, round bed. "Get up and get dressed. If you're not ready in five minutes, we're going back to Konoha."

Sasuke folded his arms over his chest. "And we will leave you here to find your own way."

Hiromi's fairly tanned face showed his disbelief, his anger. It was clear nobody had ever put their foot down with him before, which confirmed Naruto's suspicions the night before – he was a spoilt brat, one who was never told 'no'.

"Unhand me," demanded Hiromi and his face began to flush red with his anger. "Unhand me at once."

So Naruto did.

Onto the floor.

"You're not worth the lives of my teammates," Sasuke muttered darkly the second Hiromi shot to his feet and raised his hand, pointing at Naruto and about to explode with his rage. "And if you cause too much trouble, I'll kill you myself. Is that understood?"

But the man was shaking his head and by his sides, his fists clenched. "I am the patriarch of the–"

"And I'm one of two heirs to the Uchiha Clan." Dark eyes narrowed and his expression darkened. "If your selfishness gets me killed, you will have the entire Uchiha Clan on your ass. Don't even get me started if you get either of them," Sasuke gestured to Sakura and Naruto, "killed. You're looking at Yondaime Hokage's son. You're looking at the apprentice of Senju Tsunade. They're both people you don't want to get on the wrong side of, especially the latter."

Oh, he would know, Sakura inwardly smirked while folding her arms over her chest. More than once Sasuke had said the wrong thing to Tsunade and woken up a week later in the hospital, not sure what the hell had happened to put him in there. All he knew, was that it felt as though a mountain had collapsed on top of him. Everywhere hurt and because of her place in the hospital, Tsunade made it so Sasuke suffered longer than he usually would.

"_It's the only way to teach the brat a lesson_," she would say.

Silence.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, looking at the man cockily. "Get dressed. We're leaving in five minutes. We'll be waiting downstairs and if you're not there, we'll leave without you."

She didn't hesitate in following her teammates out of the room, leaving Hiromi to follow their orders.

* * *

Much to her happiness, Hiromi was ready and downstairs with twenty-four seconds to spare. There was also no complaining during the journey to the next inn they would be staying in, even though it was a seven hour walk.

To be fair to him, as he wasn't used to such prolonged periods of travelling, they took breaks whenever possible and took them for half an hour at a time. It allowed Hiromi to have something proper to eat, as well as take a break. To make sure he didn't become too exhausted or was in pain, Sakura made sure to pass him a nutritious bar every now and then, watching to make sure he ate it all. Usually it was only shinobi who ate them, as it restored their chakra, but it was possible for civilians to eat them, also. He couldn't use chakra. It just helped restore what little he had access to. All living things had chakra, after all. Shinobi merely knew how to use theirs, unlike civilians.

"Forgive us for this morning, Hiromi-san," Sakura murmured as they walked through the forest.

It was midday now and the temperature was rising quickly. For shinobi, it was bearable as they were made to adjust. They put up with worse. They'd be uncomfortable, sure, but they would deal with it and just hope it didn't get any worse. For a civilian, however, it would be more than just a little uncomfortable. It was why they kept stopping and refilling their water supplies. Hiromi was going through them all so quickly.

"I should cut the pay in half," he muttered in return, glaring ahead of himself and right into the backs of Naruto and Sasuke, who were quietly talking amongst themselves.

She sighed. It wouldn't be too much of a dent for Konoha, but it would make a slight difference. Plus, they didn't need anything bad happening with the chunin exams so close.

"I have never been treated so unfairly and rudely in my life," Hiromi went on to say.

Spoilt. The man was so, so spoilt. "And I'm truly sorry for being so rude to you," she told him earnestly, knowing that she would be the only one to try and smooth out their troubles before they went their separate ways. "It's just… This is our first major mission in a while and we don't want to mess it up."

His hazel eyes were outraged as they snapped to her green ones. "The Hokage sent me children? Inexperienced children?"

"No, not inexperienced children at all," argued Sakura. "We've been on several highly ranked missions. Our previous one… It ended badly. Until now, we…" She sighed. "_I_ haven't been prepared to go on a high ranked mission. Anything above b-rank has been too much for me to handle."

Hiromi's eyes lost some of their harshness, though not entirely. It was obvious he was still pissed off, if not wary and unsure. She would be, too, if their positions were reversed. This man was putting his life in their hands, just like they were putting their lives on the line for him.

"During our last high ranked mission, I lost someone who was very dear to me," Sakura confided quietly in him. Looking up at the small gap between the trees, she watched the blue sky. "She was like a sister to me." Clearing her throat, she looked back to the client. "Since then, it's been difficult for me. I'm not going to lie to you to try and make you feel better. But at the same time, I'm not going to be easy on you and let you have your own way. Not when it involves the lives and the safety of my teammates." Green eyes pleaded with him, trying to share her pain. "I'm not ready to lose anyone else I care for, Hiromi-san. I probably never will be. But please… Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be. I promise to be as understanding as I can towards your needs, but in return, I ask that you do the same for us."

He sighed and nodded once. "I suppose if this mission is to be completed without a problem, we must support one another, correct?" Sakura nodded, offering him a small smile. "And if I wish to make it to the meeting point, fully intact and _alive_, I must do as you all say."

Again, Sakura nodded, though her smile dimmed. "I know it's not what you're used to. If I was in your position, I'd hate being ordered around, too."

There was no verbal reply, but he once again nodded, looking away.

She smiled to herself.

Now that the air was cleared between them, hopefully, things would run more smoothly.

But if that was the case, why wouldn't her stomach settle?

Sakura turned her head away from Hiromi and gritted her teeth. It was all because of the missing-nin. It was his fault. What the hell was he scaring her like that for? Did he get some kind of kick out of it? Creep! And the _touching_. He wasn't only calling her by her chosen name, without a suffix, but he was also touching her now. Sakura knew that she hadn't given him permission to call her by her chosen name, let alone touch her. Just who did he think he was? All the while, she didn't know his freaking name! Or what he looked like. How pathetic did that make her–

"Stop!"

Sasuke's barked order had Sakura instantly putting herself in front of Hiromi, who quickly looked around himself to try and see what the problem was. Thankfully, he was staying silent and Sakura liked to think that it was because of their short chat only moments before.

"What is it, Sasuke?" questioned Naruto, who came to stand at Hiromi's other side, tense and ready to protect the man.

"The other team."

Her breathing stopped as the other team came into view.

Why?

Because she should have listened to the missing-nin.

_He was right._

As the other team came to a stop mere feet away from them, Sakura felt her heart plummet into her stomach.

What team was it?

Sabaku no Gaara's team.

She still had nightmares because of that guy. During the chunin exams, he'd ripped into and crushed Rock Lee like it was nothing, like it meant absolutely nothing. He didn't care about hurting others. Hell, according to Naruto and Sasuke, Gaara had wanted to kill them all.

The strange man may be a missing-nin, may be someone who made her uncomfortable, but Sakura would rather face him than Sabaku no Gaara. No, scratch that. She'd rather face _Uchiha fucking Itachi_ than Gaara!

The other team stared them down either expectantly or emotionlessly, clearly not surprised in the least that they'd crossed paths. Had they planned for it to be that way? Behind the team of three stood a burly looking man, one who looked fairly similar to Hiromi but at the same time, completely different. Whereas Hiromi was currently panicking and looking around with wide eyes, Gaara's charge was standing still and silently. Expectantly, even. That was probably because he was being protected by a fucking psychopath.

"Uchiha."

Very faintly, Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Gaara."

His siblings, Temari and Kankuro, looked between each other in a way Sakura presumed was warily, but it was hard to tell with them. All Suna-nin were brought up much stricter than Konoha-nin and they all knew it. One mistake out in Suna and you were dead. It was as simple as that. Sakura swallowed hard.

Tilting his head to the side, yet never taking his eyes off of Sasuke, Gaara questioned, "Is this your enemy?"

The reply had her stomach twisting horribly. "It is."

For a brief second, a face flashed through her mind. It was a face covered, drenched, in blood and the expression was one of pain and terror. The memory had Sakura's insides turning to ice as pure fear shot up and down her spine. It couldn't happen again. That couldn't happen again.

_It couldn't happen again._

As soon as Sakura saw the sand suddenly lashing out at Sasuke, she shot forward and swung her leg around, easily knocking it off its course with the help of her own chakra. It was a very close replica of how Gai had beaten the sand away from his student, Lee.

"Sakura-chan! Get out of here!"

No.

She refused to run away like a scared child.

_It couldn't happen again._

She couldn't lose anybody else.

By his sides, Gaara's hands were twitching, as was his expression. From what Sakura could remember of the first chunin exams they had taken, that meant his blood lust was growing by the second. And considering how his siblings weren't standing by his side anymore and were instead behind him, keeping their client behind them, then that meant his blood lust was reaching dangerous heights and they wanted to stay out of his line of fire.

"Mission or no mission, I'm not letting you harm my teammates."

Gaara's upper lip curled. "Another weak and sentimental Konoha-nin who lives for love."

Her eyes moved to the kanji on his forehead. Love. If Gaara was so against love, why did he have it on his forehead?

"Sakura, get out–"

The sight of Gaara's eyes narrowing, of his siblings looking unsurely at one another, had Sasuke cutting himself off, wondering just what the hell Sakura was doing to make them act that way.

"I'm the apprentice of Senju Tsunade-sama," Sakura murmured, her fists clenching by her sides. "And I am not weak."

Those fists soon unclenched and raised, forming a hand seal they couldn't make out due to her back being to them. However, when her hands lowered once more, they were stunned to see strange, black markings covering her skin.

She smirked at Gaara, trying to remain calm despite her fear threatening to make her immobile. "Try all you want," Sakura tapped her forehead, her smirk widening, "but you can't kill me while this seal is activated."

And then the sand all but exploded out of his gourd.

Sakura was quick to dodge it, to duck and run around it, but it was much faster than she'd been anticipating. The sand was a lot quicker than it had been during the chunin exams, but that made sense, didn't it? Obviously, Gaara would have trained during the past few years. He would have improved.

But so had she.

Ignoring Sasuke's order for her to get back, ignoring Naruto's yells of her name when Temari suddenly grabbed her fan and swung it, she stood still and prepared herself.

It was their turn to watch her back.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura sent chakra throughout her entire body and shut her eyes, fighting against the impossibly strong gust of wind that threatened to slice her body into pieces. It would have done, had it not been for the regeneration jutsu.

And then she was charging forward and smashing her way through the sand, using her recently gained speed to try her best to keep up with it. Much to her surprise, however, it wasn't only Gaara fighting. His siblings were getting involved, though they certainly hadn't done so the last time they'd crossed paths. Had they come to an understanding?

Puppets surrounded her, the sight of them making her brow tick with annoyance. Not even a second later and Sakura leapt into the air, only to come back down with her fist aiming straight for the ground. At the sight of the move, Naruto quickly grabbed Hiromi and fled, running to a place where they wouldn't be hit by the destruction and at the same time, Temari did the same for their own client, though not before showing her genuine shock at Sakura's new strength.

"_Shannaro!"_

All puppets were caught in the destruction, much to her delight.

Standing up straight, Sakura narrowed her eyes on Gaara. The puppets had been taken care of and Temari was now stuck with the client. That left Gaara.

"You have improved," muttered Gaara and not so faintly, his left eye twitched. "But by how much?"

The ground beneath her disappeared, shifting suddenly into sand and Sakura just barely stopped herself from instinctively screaming with fright. She was saved from being sucked into the sand by her less talkative teammate, who was glaring viciously down at Gaara with his sharingan activated as they leapt over him, soon landing behind Gaara onto a patch of unbroken land. The redhead spun to face them, eyes wild with his blood lust, which only continued to grow as it became obvious Sasuke was now involving himself in the battle.

"You should know better than to be so reckless, Sakura," he snapped without looking at her.

Not for the first time, Ino's face flashed in her mind, showing her disapproval.

"I can heal myself," she tried to defend herself, but it was a weak attempt. "You can't."

"That's why you're here," Sasuke argued. "That's why you worked so hard to learn all that you possibly can. So you can heal us."

He was right. Sakura knew he was right. However, there was only so much she could do without Tsunade by her side, guiding her. Should Sasuke be injured in the same way as Rock Lee had been, she would be completely useless and stuck for what to do. If it happened to herself, however, the regeneration jutsu would heal her of _all_ wounds.

"Dodge," Sasuke ordered just as she'd been about to say something.

And the battle resumed.

Sakura wasn't sure how long they spent dodging the relentless sand, waiting for a moment where they could find an opening to attack. There was none. The sand just kept coming at them, never giving up for a second and never losing any of its power or speed.

But then Sasuke was turning quickly to face Naruto and Hiromi, his red and black eyes widening a second before Hiromi was turning on the blond.

In the exact same moment, Kankuro was yelling Temari's name as the same happened to her.

* * *

"Do you hear that?"

The team of three came to a halt in their walk, simultaneously glancing over in the direction of north just as the ground started to rumble.

"A battle, more than likely," the only woman of the team murmured.

Sighing, the first man who had spoken turned fully towards the racket. Whatever it was, it sounded serious. "They could need our help."

But the second man merely shook his head, his red hair swaying in the breeze as he did so. "It is not our place, Yahiko."

No, it wasn't and usually, Yahiko wouldn't be affected by the sounds of battle. Right now, however, there was a twisting sensation in his gut, one that was warning him of something bad. That exact same feeling had plagued him just before his parents' untimely deaths.

"I want to check it out," Yahiko informed his teammates.

They were more like siblings rather than teammates. Well, he and Nagato were. Nagato and Konan, too. It would be wrong to say that the love between himself and Konan was a sibling kind of love, because it most definitely was not. At least he didn't think it was. Things were still a little uncertain in that area and had yet to be fully thought about and discussed. Right now, they had a bigger picture to try and help create. Thankfully, Konan understood that. She'd always been understanding when it came to him. And, just like he'd been thinking, all Konan needed to do was look at his face before nodding once in agreement.

Just as she did, there was another shaking of the ground.

They set out not even a second later.

* * *

"Ah…"

Ah, indeed. Yahiko looked down at the sight before them, trying his best to mask his uncertainty. Even after all these years of being the captain of their team, he had yet to get used to being in charge. Making difficult decisions often haunted him. No, they _always_ haunted him, especially if there were consequences or something went wrong.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Konan breathed, eyes widening a fraction and after a moment, her hand fell to the trunk of the tree as she leaned forward ever so slightly, like she was trying to get a better look. "Our sibling disciple."

They had only met the boy once, Yahiko recalled. At the time he'd been travelling with their sensei, Jiraiya, and during their travels, they'd paid a visit to the trio. It had been nice seeing Jiraiya, a lot nicer than keeping in touch over short letters and seeing that he was passing on his wisdom, teaching more shinobi about why they should bring peace to the world…

As always, Jiraiya inspired Yahiko.

"He's grown," commented their third teammate, Nagato.

"A lot." A soft smile curved Konan's lips. "He's looking more and more like his father."

Yes, he was. It was almost startling.

But right at that moment in time, their attention was not on Naruto – not completely and especially not when the pink haired girl caused the ground to split open completely during an attack against another redhead.

Nagato frowned minutely. "Aren't Konoha and Suna supposed to have a treaty?"

By his side, the blue haired woman nodded once and shoved away her happiness of seeing Naruto, her now-impassive eyes staring on at the battle. "It seems the treaty doesn't matter to these children."

Yahiko gritted his teeth. No, of course it didn't. It wasn't their precious villages that were torn to shreds during their wars, which was what was going to happen if those brats didn't get a hold of themselves. They couldn't care less about the suffering that went on because of them.

Once the destruction settled down, Yahiko immediately recognised the redhead with the gourd. If he was not mistaken, then he was the Yondaime Kazekage's youngest son, meaning the other two with him were his siblings. In other words…

"The Ichibi," Yahiko muttered under his breath.

Konan looked over to Naruto, who was now protecting a man. Most likely a client for whatever mission they were on. "And the Kyuubi."

Dread settled over them all.

"We should intervene–" Nagato tried to say, only to be cut off.

"Those are not Jiraiya-sensei's orders," the leader of the three murmured in reply. "We are to watch from the shadows and protect the jinchūriki, but only if we happen to cross paths with him. Nothing more. You both know this as well as I."

Despite saying this, despite trying to look strong and unmoving, Yahiko couldn't help but swallow the bile rising up his throat. Should a fight break out between the two of them, it could be catastrophic. Things could become so much worse if their beasts were released, too. So far, the Ichibi's jinchūriki seemed to be in control, but how long would that last? Jiraiya was the one who tightened and loosened the seal on Naruto's stomach, he recalled vaguely. Their sensei would not take any risks in leaving it weakened, would he? No, no he wouldn't. At least, Yahiko hoped not.

Forget it just being their village trampled on. So many other villages could be destroyed.

So many lives could be lost.

And then all of their breathing _stopped_ when the two clients turned on the teams protecting them, forcing them to stand closer together. The blonde girl, the Ichibi's jinchūriki's sister, was now sporting a laceration to the forehead as well as her side. Credit was due, though. She barely even winced. Naruto, on the other hand…

"Yahiko–"

"Wait," he ordered, never looking away from the two teams who now seemed to be held captive. "Do not underestimate these shinobi, Nagato. You are looking at not only one, but two jinchūriki, along with an Uchiha. Jiraiya-sensei's teammate, Tsunade-sama's disciple is also there."

Frowning minutely, Konan listened intently on what was happening a second before her eyes widened. Out of them all, she'd always been the best at lip reading. More often than not, Yahiko got the wrong end of the stick and made a fool of himself one way or another.

"They're after the Ichibi and Kyuubi."

The pink haired girl was snapping something at the man, seeming incredibly pissed, all the while keeping a tight hold of Naruto's arm, keeping him by her side. No matter what, she would protect him with her life. That much was obvious. As for the Uchiha, it seemed he was more reserved in his response to their client's words, but he was still pissed.

As for the other team… Both of the jinchūriki's siblings were standing in front of him, though spaced out. Why? Was it because of his sand? According to what he'd been told and what he'd heard, Yahiko knew that the redhead had difficulty controlling his sand, that it came to his defence without his permission. Would it lash out at his own siblings?

One of the men took a step forward.

Konan gritted her teeth.

Yahiko's eyes narrowed.

Nagato disappeared, barely even finishing his sudden, rushed sentence.

"I'm sorry, Yahiko, but I have to disobey you."

* * *

She couldn't believe what was happening.

It was a set up. It was all a set up.

Keeping a tight hold of Naruto, Sakura took a step closer to him. If they wanted him, then they were going to have to go through her first and with her seal still activated, with her jutsu still activated, they were going to have a tough time doing so. Sasuke was in front of them both and Sakura could only guess as to what his expression would be like. Pissed, yet aloof. Distant, yet protective.

Beside them stood Gaara and his team.

Temari caught her eye.

With a single look, it was like they exchanged thoughts, because they both suddenly nodded once at one another, silently calling a truce. They had more important things to worry about right now, such as the lives of the boys they cared for. For Temari, it was her youngest brother. For Sakura, it was for the boy who was like a brother. Even though it made her uneasy siding with someone like Sabaku no Gaara…

They were in the exact same position.

The two bastards opposite them had waited until they were seemingly weakened, had waited until they were separated before attacking.

Why?

"Why?" Sakura demanded.

Hiromi's eyes narrowed. "We want the Ichibi." His eyes slid to Naruto's. "And the Kyuubi."

_Bastard!_

"Like hell," Temari snarled in return, clutching her fan tightly. "We'll die before you take our little brother."

Gaara's eyes narrowed fractionally and had her mind not been on other things, Sakura would've gasped at the confusion that flitted over his features.

"That can be arranged." The man who'd been their client smirked nastily and took a step forward, raising his hands.

But just as he did, somebody intervened.

There was a flash of red hair and pale skin.

"_Shinra Tensei!"_


	8. Could Things Get Any Worse?

**Chapter 8**

**Could Things Get Any Worse?**

* * *

What the hell just happened?

Her hold on Naruto's arm slackened until her hand fell to her side uselessly. To give herself some credit, even Gaara's team were unable to mask their shock.

With just two words, without making a single seal… That guy had managed to wound their attackers. Not just wound, either. He knocked them unconscious! They weren't getting back up.

Who–

"Nagato!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning brightly. "What're you doing here?"

Nagato? Sakura frowned up at Sasuke, only to see in his eyes that he felt the same confusion as she did. The expression was gone a second later, masked by cool indifference.

That indifferent mask of his threatened to crumble to pieces when Nagato turned around, revealing his features.

"The Rinnegan," breathed Sasuke, sounding as though the wind had been knocked out of him. It looked that way, too. "Naruto, how do you know this person?"

What was the Rinnegan? Sakura's frown deepened and she risked a glance at Sabaku no Gaara and his siblings. They were expressionless, but their eyes were watching them intently, never missing a single shift or any other movement.

"I am a disciple of Jiraiya-sensei's," Nagato told them without pause. "I met Naruto while he was studying under Jiraiya-sensei."

The blond looked around with a frown. "Where's Yahiko? And Konan?"

Like saying their names summoned them, the two appeared beside Nagato, making Sakura jump slightly. Her nerves were on edge. That attack… It had been way too close. They'd been way too careless. Something could have happened to Naruto. What would they have done had that been the case? How were they supposed to be Team Seven if there was no Naruto? Who would cheer her up, or piss her off, with just one stupid look?

"Thank you," Sakura blurted out just as the woman opened her mouth. "Thank you so much, Nagato-san." She lowered her head and bit her lip harshly before continuing, "Thank you for saving Naruto."

Something in the recently arrived man's brown eyes softened.

"Don't thank me," argued Nagato quietly. "From what I could see, you were just as ready to protect him as I was."

While that was the truth, she wasn't nearly as powerful as he seemed to be. Just two words and it was like chakra exploded out of him, smashing into the two attackers and knocking them out when they slammed their heads together.

"Just accept the thanks, Nagato." The other man, Sakura was guessing to be called Yahiko, smirked. "It's not every day a pretty girl thanks you."

She blushed and ducked her head. It wasn't every day she was called pretty, either.

Konan allowed a soft smile to grace her lips. "You really must be more careful than that, Naruto."

The blond only frowned. "He wasn't after me–"

"True," she agreed, silencing the others just as they were about to say something, "but your life is more important than that beast's. Do not forget that."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura noticed Temari looking to Gaara, who was scowling at the scene before him. Again, it looked like he couldn't understand any of it and part of her couldn't help but pity him. Was that why he was so bitter and angry? Because nobody ever showed him affection or loved him?

Yahiko must have noticed her wandering eye and thoughts, because he was suddenly bringing up their battle. "You were both very reckless," he told Sakura and Gaara, looking rather unimpressed. "The treaty between your villages is shaky at best. Just one wrong move and it will crumble. Do you have any idea what would happen if it did?"

Gaara stared him down, unfaltering and unblinking.

Sakura bit her lip.

"There would be war." His voice grew harder, as did his brown eyes. "But don't worry about it, because neither of your villages will sustain much damage. No, it's the smaller villages, villages like _ours_, that are destroyed beyond recognition. It's _our_ villagers who will lose their lives."

"I'm so sorry," Sakura whispered before quickly clearing her throat. Damn it, she felt like a child being scolded. "I wasn't thinking–"

"That's the problem with the shinobi villages," Konan muttered. "None of you think about the smaller villages."

Temari's features set into a scowl. "Oi, she's apologised."

Was… Sakura looked up to the blonde in shock. Was Temari defending her?

"What's done is done," Kankuro agreed. "We were on a mission, protecting our clients and happened to cross paths. It was clearly stated in our mission scroll that our client wanted us to take out theirs."

"Meaning we had to take out their team," Gaara added in a low voice.

But if they were told specifically to take out Hiromi… Did that mean their client wanted the two tailed beasts for himself? There was no such order on their mission scroll. All that was said was that they needed to protect Hiromi to a certain meeting point, where he would then be protected by his own people.

Narrowing his eyes a fraction, Sasuke took a half step back, setting a hand on his hip. "And in return, we had to protect our client with our lives. How are we supposed to do that if we don't fight back?"

By his sides, Yahiko's hands clenched into fists, but Naruto was quick to intervene before another fight could break out. "What're you guys doing here, anyway? We're quite far from Ame."

Nagato seemed vaguely grateful for the interruption. "We were on a mission of our own and happened to cross paths with you."

Just like that? Sakura frowned to herself but didn't say anything. In all honesty, she was still kind of intimidated by that Yahiko guy, despite the fact the others had stood up for her.

"Really?" Naruto grinned brightly and folded his arms behind his head. "What kind of mission? We were on an a-ranked mission and–"

"We shouldn't really be discussing it," interrupted Konan.

"And we should be heading out now," Yahiko added. "We're on a schedule."

So it was a serious mission, Sakura decided. A mission that made theirs look like child's play in comparison. The look on Yahiko's face made it so obvious. "Thanks again for helping us," she murmured once more.

It felt like everything passed by in a blur as the three Ame-nin said their goodbyes to Naruto and the entire time, Sakura found herself holding her breath. What was going to happen now? Would Gaara attack them once more? Had they come to an understanding? Hesitantly, her eyes drifted upwards and her breath finally left her in a shaky sigh as she realised Gaara appeared deep in thought. He was looking up at the sky with faintly narrowed eyes and, if he'd had eyebrows, Sakura suspected that they would be mashed together at this point.

It was good that he was deep in thought, though. It meant that Gaara was questioning what he should do next when previously, he would have just attacked without thinking about it.

"The mission is a failure."

They all looked to Sasuke and Gaara, who had spoken in unison.

Naruto frowned. "What now, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha looked back to Gaara with a vacant expression. "We're going back to Konoha. Fighting now is pointless and will only break the treaty between our villages. There's no use in dragging innocent people into a war."

Yahiko's words. Sasuke had taken note of Yahiko's words.

Why did that make her feel so… happy? Maybe it was because it proved so many things. Sasuke was not cold-hearted and empty. There _was_ such a thing as empathy in the shinobi world. They understood each other's pain and wanted to help ease it by making sure no more pain was extracted. Nobody wanted another war if it could be helped and if not, then they were willing to die to protect their loved ones and village.

It felt like forever went by before Gaara eventually turned his back on them all, like he was deeming them unworthy opponents, and walked away. Sakura could only watch in shock. To willingly turn your back on another shinobi could be either a good thing or a bad thing. It could either be taken in a way that shows you had that person's trust, or it could be taken in a way that shows you that they see you as a weak opponent, one who wouldn't be able to put a knife in their back even if you tried your hardest.

She wondered how she should take Gaara's actions.

* * *

"Your team is bad luck."

Sakura lowered her eyes to the ground. As always, Tsunade was blunt.

"It's like a greater force is determined to tear you apart," she continued, swirling her sake around. "But something just as great is keeping you together." Thoughtfully, Tsunade murmured, "I wonder what that could be."

It had been half a day since they returned from their failed mission. As always, Minato had been understanding, but Sakura wondered if he was disappointed with the outcome. Konoha was not desperate for the money, but one day they could be. Having a reputation of failed missions, or of things going wrong on missions, would stand against them. Nobody wanted a team of shinobi who couldn't even complete a simple escort mission.

She sighed and sat down opposite her shishou. It hadn't taken long to find the woman.

Right at that moment in time, they were sat in a local bar that was just down the road from the hospital. Usually, it was pretty packed, but Sakura was guessing that the only reason it wasn't packed tonight was because the night was still young. In about an hour everybody would be piling in through the door, wanting to drink away the horrors they'd seen that day. Some, such as Tsunade, had started early and had no problem with it.

"You heard about the mission."

The blonde nodded. "It was reckless of you to attack Sabaku no Gaara."

Yes, it was. Both Sasuke and Naruto had given her the cold shoulder on the way back to Konoha, only to unleash hell on her just before they reached the gates after she couldn't stand the silence any longer. It was more Naruto who yelled at her than Sasuke, but each of their words cut just as deep.

"I can withstand his sand to an extent," Sakura argued quietly, repeating her words from earlier. "They can't."

"To an extent," repeated Tsunade, gritting her teeth. "_Sōzō Saisei_ is a double edged sword, Sakura. The more you use it or the greater your injuries, the more time it takes from you."

Slowly, Sakura nodded. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

She was drunk. Before she'd even sat down, Sakura had noticed that Tsunade was drunk or at least on her way there. The lethargy in her movements and the flush creeping over her skin screamed it and if somebody somehow missed those things, then the slight slur in her speech would fill in the gaps. And whenever Tsunade was drunk… She often got lost in her thoughts, depressing herself by remembering all of the loved ones she'd been unable to save. Recalling the memories should have been something that made her happy, but it didn't. It just reminded her of her failures and of how much she missed them.

Sakura knew how that felt.

Swallowing, she looked down at her shishou's sake cup. The woman would want a refill soon. "I couldn't get Ino's face out of my mind."

Honey brown eyes were watching her face intently. It felt like they were going to pierce holes straight through her skin in the attempt of reading of her mind. Tsunade needn't have bothered. They understood each other's pain.

"All I kept thinking was: _I couldn't lose them, too_. Even if it meant shortening my own lifespan, or being injured so badly that I could never continue life as a kunoichi… I had to protect them, Shishou. I would give anything to keep them safe."

The older woman sighed and her gaze softened. "They feel the same way about you, Sakura. How do you think they felt when you attacked someone like Gaara? Don't think about your own feelings or how you'd feel if you lost them. Think of how _they_ would feel if they lost _you_."

How could she say that? "They'd have each other to–"

"That's not the same as having you by their side," she snapped, slamming her sake cup back down onto the table with a firm grip. "Don't give your life for them or expect them to give theirs for you. Protect each other by fighting _with_ each other. Have each other's backs."

Wasn't that the same thing? Sakura frowned with confusion. Giving your life for somebody… wasn't that the same as having their back? Surely it was, because she couldn't think of how it was different. Fighting for each other… Fighting _with_ each other… Was that what Tsunade meant? Oh, it was all too confusing after a day like the one she'd just experienced. Without the traitor-client with them, their team had been able to run as shinobi back to Konoha and the journey hadn't taken them nearly as long as it had the first time.

The team from Suna, Sabaku no Gaara's team, had taken their supposed client with them and he had been locked away in one of Kankuro's puppets – one she hadn't managed to destroy beyond recognition. As for their own client… He hadn't survived Nagato's attack. Whatever he had done had caused a great amount of stress for Hiromi and it brought forth a brain aneurysm, one Sakura had no hope in protecting him from. After all, despite betraying them and trying to steal the Kyuubi housed inside of Naruto (effectively killing him), he was still a person who had needed saving. Unfortunately medics were not magicians and they couldn't save everyone. Maybe that was his karma?

The sound of another sigh tore Sakura from her thoughts and when she looked up, she saw Tsunade watching her with her head in her hand and a dazed expression on her face.

"Go home, Sakura," she murmured. "You need to rest."

"What–"

"The effects of _Sōzō Saisei_ should be starting soon."

And like it was on cue, Sakura began to feel the cramping of her muscles. It was a horrible sensation and it made her want to cry out in agony. However, being a disciple of Senju Tsunade had taught her to toughen up and not show her pain, no matter how extreme it was and if, by chance, it _did_show, then Sakura knew to ignore it and continue to kick ass.

But…

"I can't leave you to drink alone, Shishou," Sakura argued softly, not able to add much volume to her words. "It's–"

"It is fine." Honey brown eyes rolled childishly and Tsunade forced herself to sit up straight, pushing her ample chest out a little further. "Jiraiya will be joining me shortly."

Jiraiya? Naruto had to be thrilled. "When did he return?"

"Just this morning."

The voice startled her, as Sakura hadn't been expecting Tsunade's reply to sound so deep and gravelly, like her voice was rumbling in her chest. Belatedly, she realised it _wasn't_ Tsunade who had replied and Sakura felt annoyed with herself for being so slow. There was no excusing it.

"Jiraiya-sama," Sakura greeted, but just as she stood up and turned to bow her head respectfully, she was surprised to find another by his side. "Kakashi-sensei."

It felt like it had been _years_ since she last saw her former-sensei!

"Sakura." His voice held a light, playful edge to it and it almost made her smile. Somehow, it never bothered her when Kakashi sometimes looked at her like she was still a child. It was comforting, in an odd way. "You were always the sweet and innocent one. What happened?"

What?

Oh, right. She was at the bar with them and her shishou was wasted. "Life."

He nodded thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "Yeah, it does that."

Sakura rolled her eyes before smiling sweetly at her former sensei, ignoring Jiraiya as he slid into the seat besides Tsunade, grumbling about her lack of acknowledgement.

"I have a favour to ask of you."

The playful act was still in place as Kakashi regarded her coolly. "…What?"

"I have a refrigerator filled with food that's going to be out of date by tomorrow. If you take me home, you can have it."

"I already ate."

Damn it. He was playing hard to get! "Did I mention I have Naruto's copy of Jiraiya-sama's latest work?" It wasn't _Icha, Icha_ but she knew he would be okay with it. It was just as disgusting. "And it's something only myself and Naruto have read?"

"If I can have them both, we have a deal."

"Good, because I'm about to collapse in a few seconds and I wasn't sure how long I could continue negotiating with you."

"What?" His single eye widened with alarm, all acts dropping instantly.

But she couldn't answer because that warm, comforting darkness took over, allowing her to forget about the agony her body was in as it adjusted and recovered from the jutsu.

Thankfully, just before she fell to the ground, Sakura felt familiar arms catching her and holding her closely.

* * *

Unfortunately, when she eventually woke up, Sakura found that her refrigerator had been raided and the novel she had been briefly discussing with Kakashi, was missing. How he knew where to find it, she would never know. Sakura simply knew not to doubt that man and his gut instinct.

At least he put her to bed and hadn't dumped her on the sofa, like he would have if it had been Sasuke or Naruto in her position. She took pride in the fact that she was his favourite student, even though he didn't teach her much or spent much time with her.

What time was it now? How long had she been sleeping for? One glance at the clock residing on the wall in her kitchen alerted Sakura that it was now extremely early in the morning. To be more exact: it was half past three in the morning and the world outside of her apartment was bathed in darkness, with only the street lamps lighting up the empty streets.

It was with an aching head that Sakura gulped down a large glass of water and once the glass was empty, she leaned over the kitchen sink, trying to collect her thoughts.

Last night, only moments before she had collapsed, Tsunade had been telling her something that was incredibly meaningful. Even in her drunken state what she'd said was _so right_. Sakura just couldn't fully grasp the memory because of the pain that had taken over. It had made everything about the conversation hazy. And Sakura knew that she couldn't bring it up while the blonde was sober. The discussion would be well out of bounds because of how personal the subject was and how sensitive Tsunade could be.

That was what Sakura loved most about her dear shishou. Tsunade had so many walls surrounding her and shielding her, trying to protect her heart from further pain. She could be so blunt and harsh at times, reducing many to tears. However… Once you were past all those barriers, when you got under her skin, she was the kindest, most caring person to be around. There was a completely different side to her and Sakura _loved_ seeing that side.

It was an honour to be one of Tsunade's precious people.

Turning, Sakura looked around her small kitchen. The apartment wasn't anything special, but it was home to her. It was a place to call her own. It was a place where she could hide away when the world became too much for her. A safe haven, of sorts.

Just as she was about to leave the kitchen to have a shower, something caught Sakura's eye, making her frown.

The sight of the piece of paper had her rolling her eyes. It said just one word.

_Eat_.

Always ordering her around. Grumbling under her breath, because Sakura knew she would never be able to disobey her former sensei, she picked up the bar and tore the wrapping off, quickly finishing it with only a few bites.

That was who Kakashi was, though. He was a leader even if he didn't want to admit it. Everything about him, everything he did or said, confirmed that thought. It was like… It was like Kakashi was an alpha male and Sakura would be lying if she said she'd never seen him in _that way_ before. No, she wasn't into her former sensei, because that would be wrong, wouldn't it? She was merely stating that she could understand why so many women fawned over him. The guy was a mystery to say the least. Mostly due to that infernal mask, but also because of his personality. He could be so distant, yet so focused on the things around him. For example: _the look_.

How could she best describe it? Throwing the wrapper into the bin, Sakura left the kitchen, switching the light off on her way out as she headed towards the bathroom, stripping along the way.

While he appeared to be aloof and uncaring, when talking to somebody, Kakashi could be so focused. He looked at you with a look that screamed _you_. _You_ had his entire attention and nothing else mattered to him at that moment in time. What _you_ had to say, meant a lot to him. That look was intense to say the least. It wasn't always so intense, because most of the time, Kakashi could be laid back and smooth, but when there was a conversation, one that actually meant something to him, _that look_ would be there.

Damn, she looked awful.

Sakura groaned at her appearance as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked exactly how she felt: rough and disgusting. Her hair was a mess of knots and tangles and her eyes were puffy from sleep. Don't even get her started on the dried drool across her cheek. She hoped Kakashi hadn't seen her like that. He'd never let her live it down.

Quickly switching on the shower and shutting the bathroom door, Sakura jumped straight in, not waiting for the water to heat up. The cold would wake her up properly.

Thankfully the shower was refreshing, washing away all of the grime and sweat that had been building up over the past few days and as the water started to heat up, it eased the ache in her muscles. With the soap she managed to give herself a short yet still blissful massage, adding a small amount of healing chakra to her hands to numb the rest of the aches.

She was still recovering from the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu and according to Tsunade, it would take a full day to fully recover from it. Honestly, she shouldn't even be out of bed or attempting to numb the pain. Her chakra reserves were worryingly low, though it wasn't too surprising. Temari's attack had threatened to slice her into tiny pieces and would have, had it not been for _Sōzō Saisei_.

As soon as she could no longer smell the scent of her own sweat and was confident that she was clean everywhere, Sakura shut the water off and climbed out, wrapping a towel around herself to try and keep some of the warmth. It didn't work. Apparently Kakashi hadn't turned the heating on before he left – something she was both grateful for and annoyed at.

It was even colder in the small hallway, though she was fortunate to have a fairly warm bedroom. That didn't mean she spent–

Green eyes suddenly narrowed.

Something was wrong.

Something in her apartment was out of place and at the realisation, Sakura felt her stomach drop and her heart began to beat faster. The hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck were standing on edge at the sudden feeling of being watched.

And she knew exactly who was watching her.

She heard him before she saw or sensed him.

The sound of a bell.

He was back.

Sakura spun around, eyes going wide as she clutched the towel tightly around herself.

"Pervert," she yelled instinctively and, just like her yell, her fist flew forward, aiming straight for his jaw with enhanced strength.

But a large hand reached out and caught her wrist, leaving her motionless.

He…

He stopped the punch like _it was nothing_.

_How in the fucking hell was that possible?_

Fear almost made her immobile, but it had nothing on the feeling that shot right down her spine when Sakura looked up and caught the eerie glow that was so very familiar to her.

The Sharingan.

Her supposed saviour had the Sharingan.

"Sakura."

Sakura tried to break her wrist out of his hold, but he didn't let go and didn't show any signs of releasing her. It had her fist clenching and features twitching with anger. Who the hell did this bastard think he was? How dare he just turn up at her apartment, uninvited, and manhandle her in such a way while she was covered in nothing but a towel! It was so inappropriate and made her feel painfully uncomfortable.

"Let go of me," she hissed in anger. "Get out!"

"Not until you have calmed down."

There was no point in fighting, she knew, but for some reason Sakura didn't want to stop. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her backing down. It just wasn't in her nature to be submissive. So she continued to fight. "You have no right to break into my home. Just wait until I inform the head of your clan, you damned Uchiha bastard."

Oh, Sakura knew she was playing with fire, but she had the ability to heal herself when she was burned. This… This _intruder_ didn't.

"What makes you so sure that I am an Uchiha?"

The question threw her off for a second, making her scowl up at him and with her free hand, she tightened her hold on the towel. "You have the Sharingan. I–"

"You do not have to be an Uchiha to possess the Sharingan. Since you are Hatake Kakashi's former student, I assumed you would already know this."

Wait… He wasn't an Uchiha? That ruled out the possibility of him watching over Sasuke, then. As soon as Sakura noticed his Sharingan, that was what she'd believed – or hoped. The man was there to watch over and protect Sasuke, not her.

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I–"

"I watched your battle," he cut her off smoothly and loosened his hold on her wrist, finally allowing Sakura to break away from him. She backed up slowly, clutching her wrist close to her chest. "Despite my warnings, you still went through with your mission. Why?"

Why? "It's probably impossible for you to understand, since you're clearly a missing-nin and all, but a _real_ shinobi should _always_ make the mission their first priority."

Those red eyes flashed with an emotion Sakura couldn't understand. It looked like… disappointment? Why? Why would this man feel disappointed with her? He didn't even know her. Or did he? How much had he seen of her life while she was blissfully unaware?

"Do you truly believe that?"

His words were like a punch to the gut and they made her angry. "Don't question me," she snapped, features twisting in a show of her anger and in front of her, small fists clenched tightly. "Completing the mission is top priority."

"Then why are you getting so angry?" Even while arguing with her, the man sounded so calm and distant. How was that even possible? "The safety and the lives of your comrades should always come before a mission. I thought you, of all people, would understand that."

In her mind, Ino's name was being screamed and she could see the blonde's beautiful, _beautiful_ face twisted with agonising pain. She could see her best friend laying on the ground, motionless and lifeless.

She could see her death and it was all because of a mission.

Sakura swallowed hard and did her best not to show her slip in composure. She did her best to hide the fact that he had made her question herself and the shinobi rules.

"Who are you?" Sakura instead demanded, changing the subject and not caring in the least about subtly. "How did you break into the village?"

The village was surrounded by a dizzying amount of barriers. Somebody had to know about his arrival and any minute now, she was expecting ANBU to appear out of seemingly nowhere and take him out.

Why did the thought make her feel more uncomfortable than his presence?

More quietly, she added, "What do you want with me?"

Silence.

It felt like it was dragging on for an eternity.

Part of her wanted to turn and switch the light on, but Sakura knew that if she did that, he would leave. He would use the distraction to make a run for it and she couldn't allow that to happen. She wanted answers and she was going to get them. Depending on what he told her, she may or may not be reporting his stalking to the Hokage.

Wait…

May or may not?

"You are improving, Sakura."

Those words… He had said them to her before. Not long before Ino had died, in fact.

"You must keep improving."

She took a step forward, closer to his darkened figure in hopes of seeing more of him, but at the same time, the man took a step back. "Wait!"

"Rest, Sakura," he murmured softly to her. Much to her surprise, there was a shift in his eyes as the tomoe began to swirl. They swirled into a completely different design that made her gasp. Could the other Uchiha do that? "You are still recovering."

And then darkness once more took over.

* * *

When she next awoke, Sakura found herself to be back in bed. She woke with a gasp, clutching the bedsheets tightly as she sat up, panting for a few moments as she tried to remember everything.

It felt like a dream. Everything was so cloudy and distant… _Had_ it been a dream? How would she even know if it had been or not?

Sighing, Sakura fell back into bed and gazed up at her ceiling. There was no true way of knowing, was there? Not unless she had some hard, concrete evidence of his presence the night before – or earlier that morning. If he'd really been there, so many alarms would have sounded, since he was an intruder. Every shinobi in the village would have been on high alert and ready to attack. So… Was it just a dream?

One thing Sakura could remember perfectly was the strange pattern of his eyes. When she first saw them, she could vaguely recall seeing the Sharingan. That couldn't be possible, though, could it? The Sharingan was pretty much the same design for all Uchiha – up to three tomoe in each eye. But if he had the Sharingan… Did that mean there were more powerful versions of it? More developed, deadly versions? It kind of scared her thinking that to be true.

Turning her head to the side, Sakura looked to see what time it was and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was nine o'clock in the morning. Perfect. The person she needed to speak to would be in their training grounds, alone. It was the perfect opportunity to get some answers.

It was with that thought that Sakura shot out of bed, ignoring the dull aching of her muscles.

She had to find Sasuke.

* * *

The scene she entered upon had her heart stopping.

They were fighting.

Usually Sasuke was alone in the training grounds, but he wasn't. For some reason his brother was with him and they were fighting.

_Why?_

Sakura's heart started beating once more, but not at its normal pace. It was racing, thundering away in her chest as she saw the two brothers going at it. One was growling and snarling, putting everything he had into the fight, whereas the other was calm and impassive.

What the hell was happening?

_"Bastard!"_ Sasuke yelled and he charged forward, clenching his fist tightly.

Just a second later and Itachi was appearing in front of him and punching Sasuke in the stomach, catching him from falling by wrapping a large hand around his brother's throat and pinning him against a tree.

She couldn't hear what was being said and against the tree she was stood on, her hand clenched in the bark, leaving a mark in the wood. _What the hell was happening?_

_"I don't give a damn what you think!"_

All she could hear was Sasuke and that was only because he was yelling, _screaming_, at Itachi.

Something else was said and a second later, Itachi was releasing him, watching emptily as Sasuke dropped to the ground, hacking and coughing and wheezing for breath.

Sakura appeared beside him the moment he was released, immediately looking over Sasuke. Only when she noted the damage was not serious did she look to Itachi, _glaring at him_ angrily. "What the hell is your problem?" demanded Sakura. "You could've killed him."

"It would be wise if you did not interfere in matters that don't concern you, Haruno-san."

"Go screw yourself!"

He seemed unimpressed, not that it mattered to her. "As intelligent and riveting as this conversation may be, I have more important matters to attend to. Sasuke," Itachi looked down his nose at his younger brother, "I hope you have learned your lesson."

And just like that, Itachi disappeared.

_What the hell?_

"Sasuke–"

"Stay out of it," he rasped.

Why was he shutting her out so suddenly? Sakura frowned as she watched Sasuke stand, as she watched his walls shooting straight back up. Right at that moment in time, he was refusing to look weak. He was refusing to let her see him in a moment of weakness. Why?

As for Itachi… Even though she didn't know what the hell was happening, what he'd done seemed so uncalled for. Why would he attack his younger brother like that? And what was that about Sasuke learning his lesson? His lesson on what? Just as Sakura was about to demand answers a messenger appeared beside her, effectively silencing her and during that silence, after only a brief glance to see what was happening, Sasuke turned and walked away, leaving her alone with the messenger.

"Haruno-san." The young girl bowed her head respectfully and her brown hair fell into her eyes until she looked back up and tilted her head slightly. "Hokage-sama would like to see you immediately."

Immediately.

It had to be about her stalker.

_He knew!_

She nodded once, thanking the girl for relaying the message before shooting off in the direction of the Hokage Tower, wasting little to no time to reach it and walk at a fast pace towards the Hokage's office. There was no waiting or having to knock, for the doors were left open, awaiting her arrival and as soon as she was in the room, Sakura shut the doors and turned to face her Hokage.

Only to freeze at the sight of the man standing in front of the desk.

Uchiha Itachi.

What was he doing there?

"Ah, Sakura-chan." Minato smiled warmly at her. "So nice of you to finally join us."

Well that was hardly fair, considering she had only just been given the message.

"Forgive me, Hokage-sama." Her eyes slid to Itachi, wanting nothing more than to glare at him. However, since they were in the presence of the Hokage, Sakura held back the urge. "Sasuke-kun needed my assistance."

Not really true, since Sasuke had actually walked away from her the second her attention was elsewhere. He hadn't wanted her help, even though he could have needed it.

He frowned and tilted his head to the side. "Let me guess, fighting with Naruto again?"

"No, not Naruto," she murmured and finally looked back to him. "Bit closer to home."

Minato caught on and nodded once, quickly changing subjects and making Sakura inwardly frown. Was this not about her stalker, then? Hadn't Minato noticed somebody had infiltrated the village?

"I have called you both here because I recently received a scroll from a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. They have been hit by an unknown virus, one they had originally believed to be nothing more than a cold. However, they have found that a few days after contracting the illness, there is no recovering."

This time, Sakura outwardly frowned as she tried to think of what the illness could be. Clearly, it had the same symptoms of a cold. "What research have they done?"

"None as of yet." Minato sighed and sat up straighter in his chair. "The village is small and has a very short amount of funds. All funds are currently going towards medication to try and heal the sick."

"And by 'no recovering' you mean they're dying."

He nodded.

Sakura gritted her teeth and took a few seconds to try and keep her emotions in check. It was a lot easier now than it had been when she was younger. All she really needed to do was inspect the area surrounding herself, which distracted her long enough for Sakura to shut down those emotions.

The room was quiet other than their talking and as always, it was plain in decoration, looking the same as it always had and probably always would.

"Usually, I would send Tsunade-sama on a mission such as this, but right now we need her in Konoha."

More like she was too hungover to go. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"This is why I have summoned you, Sakura-chan," stated Minato. "In Tsunade-sama's place, as her apprentice, you will find out what this illness is and how to treat it."

Sakura nodded before once more glancing around the room, not for the first time wondering why the hell that bastard Itachi was there. He looked so uncaring and aloof and it rubbed her the wrong way. "Yes, Hokage-sama. Should I tell Naruto and Sasuke-kun?"

"No."

What?

"You will be going without them."

_What?_

"This will be your first time since Yamanaka Ino's death, I know, Sakura-chan. However, Naruto must continue with his training and to do so, he needs Sasuke-kun by his side. I know I can trust Itachi-san to take care of you on this mission."

A mission… with Uchiha Itachi.

And she had just told him to go screw himself.


	9. Putting The Mission First

**Chapter 9**

**Putting The Mission First**

* * *

She fixed her cloak around her neck, watching in the mirror how it moved a second slower than herself. It was something Sakura disliked greatly. The cloak would be easy to grab hold of, meaning _she_ would be easy to grab hold of. It was especially troublesome in battle. Not that she was expecting to have to fight.

Minato had explained everything that had been shared with him, to her. The village was bang in the middle of Suna and Konoha (like many of the places she was being sent to recently, she realised with annoyance), in the Land of Rivers, and it was so small that its population was no more than two hundred people – now one hundred and forty-six because of the virus.

What sort of virus had cold-like symptoms, yet killed people? Sakura frowned to herself while making sure she had everything she would need for a mission such as this. Perhaps it was the flu? A deadly flu? Or pneumonia?

During the walk to the gates, where she would be meeting Itachi, Sakura thought it over.

Until she physically examined the patients, there was no true way of knowing what the virus was or if it was even a virus. Precautions would have to be taken, also. For starters: protective clothing. _If_ it was a virus, it could be contagious, therefore, they should all be quarantined and examined for traces of the illness. Even if none of the symptoms were making themselves known it didn't necessarily mean that they weren't infected. They could be carriers.

What else? It wasn't like Sakura could just teach their medical staff how to care for the patients, because it was obvious chakra would be needed. They'd already tried everything and there wasn't a chance in hell that Sakura would have enough medication for over one hundred people. Chances were, the doctors and nurses wouldn't even know how to channel their chakra. That made them close to useless to her, even though it was harsh to say such things because they were still trying their best.

There wasn't only that to worry about, either. They'd obviously been caring for those who were ill, meaning they'd come into contact with the virus if they hadn't taken precautions. All medical staff would have to be subjected to examinations, also.

How was she going to do this? It would take much too long for Sakura to examine everyone in the village (meaning precious lives could be lost) and she wasn't sure as to whether or not Itachi knew any medical ninjutsu. Even if he did, he was there to protect her and to make sure nothing happened that would endanger her life. She was too great an asset for the village to lose, apparently.

There was always…

Sakura bit her lip.

Would it work?

The sight of the gates had her thoughts coming to a halt and seeing that Itachi was already there almost had Sakura sighing. Things were going to be awkward, weren't they? If he was anything like his younger brother, then she was guessing that he would pretty much ignore her throughout the entire mission, only communicating with her when he absolutely had to. However, she would still feel uncomfortable.

To successfully complete the mission, she would need a clear and focused mind. It wouldn't do to be worrying about unimportant things.

"Haruno-san," he greeted with a nod of acknowledgement.

"Uchiha-san." It felt strange calling him by his surname, for some odd reason. Maybe it was because she'd never called Sasuke by his surname, so it was foreign on her tongue? "Before we set off, can I just get something off my chest?"

He was silent.

It was a little off putting, however, it was obvious he was giving her the chance to say what needed to be said.

For a few moments, she regarded him silently. Instead of his ANBU uniform, or the casual clothes he was wearing earlier that day, Itachi was now wearing a cloak similar to her own, with a standard issued uniform, one most chunin and jonin wore, beneath the cloak. He looked so different in that attire.

"Earlier…" She refused to look intimidated, even though his presence made her feel nothing but. "I shouldn't have yelled at you the way I did and I apologise for it. All I saw was the ending of your fight with Sasuke-kun and I still have no idea what was going on, so I had no right to interfere the way I did."

He nodded once and turned away. "We will head straight for the village. Manage to keep up with me and we will be there by nightfall."

And then, as soon as they signed out, he set off.

Why was he so cold? Sakura wondered as she forced herself to keep up with the stoic Uchiha. And why was he pushing her so hard? It was difficult keeping up with him mainly because of how fast he was, but also because of the fact that Itachi was so unpredictable. One moment he would be on a straight path and then the next, he would, without warning, be doing something that would throw off anyone who was following them. She wasn't used to it. When travelling with her team, they always moved at a pace that was comfortable for them all, although Naruto had the habit of dashing off in front every now and then. Even Kakashi was understanding and it was only if the situation called for it that he forced them to move faster.

At the rate they were going, she would need to take a break in the next hour or so. Without a break she would be completely useless for the village. Sure, there was the chakra that Sakura stored away in her forehead, but that was for emergencies only. There wasn't only that, but she also had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she would need to use a specific jutsu when they arrived at the hospital.

To use that jutsu, she had to have a certain amount of chakra.

The area surrounding them was slowly fading from luscious green to dull brown, making it painfully obvious that they were getting closer and closer to the desert. Its heat was also beginning to make itself known, though Sakura hid her discomfort easily.

"How are your reserves?"

The question nearly startled her. It had been hours since Itachi last spoke to her. "At this rate I'll need to take a break shortly," she replied truthfully. "Within the next hour."

It wouldn't do to lie to her teammate, even though Sakura didn't like the thought of Itachi being her teammate. Something about it seemed… off. Itachi wasn't her teammate – he was her teammate's older brother. But even if she didn't like calling or admitting that _that_ was what Itachi was, it didn't mean it wasn't true and lying to your teammate could be life threatening. It could put both of their lives in danger.

"Would you like to take a break now?"

She had a choice? That kind of surprised her. Sasuke always made Itachi seem like some sort of tyrant, like everything had to go his way otherwise he'd turn into a total jackass. "Yes." Sakura refused to acknowledge the surprise in her voice. "Thank you."

Until the moment they came to a stop beneath a large tree, Itachi had been running ahead of her by a few paces, not even turning or slowing down as he spoke to her.

Sakura sighed and leaned back against the tree, grateful that she was being given the chance to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. When she looked up, she was aggravated by the fact that Itachi didn't even appear winded. He was standing calmly and casually, like no one would dare to attack them because he was there. The only thing that made it clear to her that Itachi _was_ on watch, was his Sharingan.

The Sharingan…

Before being sent on their mission, what Sakura had planned on doing, was asking Sasuke how the Sharingan worked and whether or not there were advanced stages of it. Was there a level beyond the three tomoe? Or was that where it ended? However, those thoughts had been pushed to the back of her mind when she saw the two Uchiha brothers fighting. Well, when Sakura said 'fighting' what she really meant was: Sasuke was attacking and Itachi was so very obviously provoking him in one way or another. There had to be a reason why Sasuke attacked his brother like that and Sakura was willing to bet her pay from the mission that it was all Itachi's fault.

She ignored the voice in the back of her mind that was exclaiming about how Sasuke could be quite the hothead when he wanted to be.

And then the mission!

Why, of all people, did she have to complete the mission with Itachi?

Apparently it was because only the two of them would be going and Minato was very confident in Itachi's skills. According to him, there was only one other shinobi who was as great a prodigy and unfortunately, that man was not available for the mission. Oh she just knew it was her perverted former sensei and he probably wasn't available for the mission because he was too busy drooling all over Jiraiya's latest work. So now, she would be stuck on a mission for who knows how long, with Uchiha Itachi.

Previously, Sakura hadn't particularly minded him. Sure he was a little weird but he was Sasuke's brother, therefore, he was important to the entire team. Even though Sasuke seemed to despise his older brother, they all knew that he would be secretly devastated if anything happened to Itachi. Other than that, Uchiha Itachi had never really meant anything to her. He was just a name she heard around the village for various reasons and most of the reasons were not good. It was rare for her to actually see him, so all Itachi was, was a name to her.

But now…

Sakura felt like she'd seen him more in the past several weeks than she had in years – and she'd only seen him twice.

It was a mission, though. She couldn't let any of it get to her head too much, especially not when there were lives in her hands. For this mission, and this mission alone, Itachi was her teammate and when they returned to the village, he would go back to being just a name.

Without a word, Sakura slipped her pack from her shoulders and sat down at the base of the tree, reaching inside and grabbing a nutritious bar. It would help to replenish her chakra, slowly building her reserves back up. If it really came down to it while treating the patients, she could always take soldiers pills – something she had plenty of.

"Do you want one?" asked Sakura after a few minutes of silence. The silence was uncomfortable. "I have more than I'll need."

Itachi glanced over to her languidly and the sight of his Sharingan almost made her flinch. Rumour had it, those eyes had seen it all and to look him in the eye meant certain death. They were beautiful, don't get her wrong, but they were also terrifying. There was every chance that those rumours were just petty rumours, but it was still unnerving looking into those eyes.

"No, thank you."

And then he looked away again.

Wow. It was so obvious that Itachi didn't like her, yet he still had impeccable manners when speaking to her.

_Why_ didn't he like her? Other than the 'go screw yourself' comment, what reason would he have to dislike her? Did it really matter? Yes. For them to complete the mission successfully, there couldn't be any bad blood between them. It would get in the way of the mission. But then again, it would seem petty and almost as though she was trying to start an argument by bringing it up. Or would it? Again, why should she care? Clearly Uchiha Itachi was someone who put the mission first, so he wouldn't let his disliking cause any tension.

With that decided, Sakura finished resting up before standing and dusting her hands down her cloak, only sparing Itachi a nod. It was all he needed. Not even a second later and they were dashing off through the trees once more.

As they grew closer to the desert she tied her hair back, not enjoying the harsh winds in the least as it whipped her hair around her face. On more than one occasion, it lashed at her eyes and it was most definitely not a pleasant sensation. Apparently the 'Great Uchiha Itachi' didn't experience anything of the sort because not once did he move his hair from his eyes, despite his bangs being blown by the wind almost as badly as her own hair had been.

By now the luscious green grass had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but yellowed and dried grass in its place. The sight saddened her, in all honesty. The colour of freshly cut, well-hydrated grass always soothed Sakura because it made her think of fields and fields were always a place of relaxation and peace, in her eyes. The trees were growing thicker once more, though they barely had any leaves to give her and Itachi much cover. It was because of this that they dropped to the ground and continued their journey running. Well, Itachi decided that they should do that and she merely followed. Then again, she couldn't really complain considering he _was_ the captain of the mission, despite it being _her_ mission.

And then she noticed a slight shift in the trees. While they weren't covered in leaves, they still gave a fair amount of cover. Just not enough for her and Itachi.

Her eyes moved to the side and narrowed a fraction.

A creeping feeling – one she was beginning to grow accustomed to – was tingling down her spine, but just as Sakura was about to turn to look behind herself, Itachi slowed to her pace, not even sparing her a glance as he murmured, "Do not look behind us. We can't allow our follower to know we are onto him."

Oh, but Itachi didn't know who was following them. Well neither did she, not really, but she had an idea. It was an Uchiha, or somebody who had stolen the Sharingan from an Uchiha.

Would it be wrong to tell Itachi that the guy who was following them now, had been following her for a while? For years, perhaps? What would happen? Would he inform their Hokage? Would Minato be upset with her for not reporting it sooner? The guy was basically stalking her. Sakura honestly had no idea why she hadn't reported it. The thought just never occurred to her, since she so rarely saw the guy.

Her foot touched down onto a branch for a fraction of a second as they darted back into the trees before she was shooting off it again, all but soaring through the trees. Any cover was better than no cover just in case they were attacked. "What do we do, Uchiha-san?"

There was a moment of pause. "We will wait to find out what he is after."

_Me_, she wanted to tell him. _He's after me._

Should she mention something? Should she tell Itachi about her stalker? Sakura wanted to but just as she opened her mouth to tell him, the words died on her tongue. It didn't feel right. What exactly didn't feel right, she had no idea. Telling Itachi something that was worrying her, maybe? Telling somebody, _anybody_, about her saviour?

No, no he wasn't a saviour. Sure, the guy had saved her once and had warned her about several things, but still. It was not normal behaviour. He was obviously older than her. What kind of man stalked a thirteen-year-old girl? Or a fifteen-old-girl? It was sick. What if he was some kind of creep? What if he had been stalking her for a long time now?

Oh she was beginning to scare herself.

Biting down on her lip, Sakura held back her need to scream with frustration.

If the stalker had been following them for a while now, he would have noticed Itachi's tendency to make his travelling unpredictable, which was why they were now back in the trees and changing direction ever so slightly. It wasn't by much, just a little to the east now.

And then all of a sudden, Itachi came to an abrupt halt, causing her to almost crash into him. Sakura gripped the tree trunk tightly, bracing herself against it.

"He is gone."

What?

She looked around quickly with watchful eyes and sure enough, he was right. Her stalker (or whoever the hell he really was) really was gone. But why? Where would he have gone? Surely–

Itachi's head tilted to the side so he was looking more to the west than in their direction and Sakura unknowingly held her breath as she saw the tomoe in his Sharingan languidly swirling around. Once again, the wind was lashing his hair around, covering his eyes for a moment and secretly, Sakura was delighted when he reached up and brushed his fingers through his hair, holding it away from his eyes.

He was quite attractive, really.

But then again pretty much all of the Uchiha clansmen were attractive.

"Uchiha-san?"

Silence.

And then…

"There is a battle."

What? "What?"

"Had we stayed on course, we would have been caught in the middle," explained Itachi without a shred of emotion.

"So you're saying our follower was actually… herding us in a different direction?"

"Yes."

Again, no emotion. How the hell was that even possible? Even Kakashi showed emotion in moments such as these: confusion, at least. Did Itachi feel no emotion? Or was he simply _really_ good at hiding how he was feeling? Sakura was willing to bet on it being the latter, because no human could ever feel _nothing_. It wasn't natural.

"But why would they do that?" Itachi continued after a few moments of silence. "What difference would it have caused to them?"

His curiosity was piqued. Then again anybody would be curious as to what was going on and why it was happening.

It had to be him. It had to be her saviour – her _stalker_, she mentally corrected. Only he would have done such a thing. Anybody else would have left them to their own devices, telling themselves that she and Itachi were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Chances were, they wouldn't have even been bothered by the battle, especially Itachi. Only if the things she'd heard about him were true, that was.

"Maybe we were interrupting their mission? Or their plans?" offered Sakura, for reasons she couldn't even begin to understand. Why was she making excuses for her stalker? She should be complaining to the high heavens about him. "Either way, Uchiha-san, I'm grateful for their interruption. We need to hurry if we want to help all those people."

She had a point and he knew it, which was why Itachi glanced to her, nodded once, and then continued to lead the way towards the village in silence.

* * *

The silence had been aggravating, yet bearable. It gave her time to think everything over.

Usually, when travelling with her team, there would always be talking. Perhaps not so much Sasuke but there was always chatter between herself and Naruto, maybe even Kakashi if he was with them. So despite the strange absence the silence left her feeling, it was somewhat welcomed.

There was only one good thing about going into the desert, also: she was wearing her thigh high boots. It meant no sand would get stuck between her toes like it _always_ seemed to do. Okay, sure, the village wasn't actually _in_ the desert, but they were still surrounded by sand due to the sandstorms that often plagued the area and it could still get quite hot temperature-wise. Just nowhere near as hot as it would in the desert.

"Haruno-san."

When Itachi stopped, Sakura also stopped, standing a few feet behind him. "Yes, Uchiha-san?"

There was silence as the Uchiha turned to face her, regarding her with a blank expression. It was rather unnerving. Couldn't the guy at least smile a little? Or look more approachable?

"You will be the spokesperson for the duration of this mission," he informed her. "I am still captain and you will still have to run things by me, but since you are needed here more than I am, you will be the one to explain everything to the leader of this village as well as the obvious."

As well as the obvious? What did that–

Oh, right. Healing everyone.

So in basic words: she was kind of the leader, but not officially. She was going to be making orders and coming up with plans, but they would have to be checked out and run by Itachi, first. That was fair, she supposed. He had way more experience than herself and was a member of the Uchiha Clan, therefore a member of the police force. He would know how to keep his cool and keep the peace, should anything happen to threaten that peace.

"Is that understood?" questioned Itachi when there was no reply.

"Yes." A pause. "If you don't mind my asking, Uchiha-san… What's your role on this mission? Your real role, I mean. You can't use medical ninjutsu."

He stared at her. "I am here to protect you."

Why was he so… like _that_? It was aggravating beyond belief. "But I don't understand. I'm taking a huge risk being here when there could be a deadly virus going around. I don't understand why Hokage-sama would risk sending you here, too."

Another pause. During that pause, Itachi glanced over at the village behind himself. Sakura was presuming he was staring at the entrance, but there was no way of knowing since she couldn't see his face.

It wasn't much to look at. All of the buildings that they could see, all appeared to be buildings that had no more than one or two floors, though most appeared to only have the former for one reason or another. They were also built with nothing but wood. It was probably why everybody was getting so sick. If the weather was bad, then the houses wouldn't offer much protection. Not when they were built as shabbily as these were.

But it wasn't the villagers' fault. Their lack of funds would make it close to impossible to create better accommodation for themselves, not to mention it would take too much time out of their day. According to Minato, pretty much everyone worked just to make sure they had food on the table. Apparently the leader was in the exact same situation, too. Every bit of profit he made, he put it towards the village, to make sure they never had food shortages or anything of the sort.

"You are an important asset to Konoha, Haruno-san," Itachi eventually replied when he turned back to face her. "Should anything happen to Tsunade-sama, you will be the one who takes her place, as you are the only one to have mastered her most difficult and dangerous jutsu. Konoha cannot afford to lose you."

So he had to protect her.

That truly was his mission.

It seemed so… surreal.

And arrogant.

Sending only Itachi to protect her? Like he was some kind of unstoppable force who couldn't be defeated by anyone, so they didn't need to send anyone else? Jeez.

"Remember that anything you say and everything you do will reflect on the village," Itachi murmured. "There will be times where you feel pressured and under stress, but it is imperative that you hold your tongue. We cannot risk starting a war."

A war against a village such as this? Was Itachi losing his mind? Or was he simply not as smart as he made himself out to be? Even if she _did_ by some chance start a war, the chances of this particular village actually responding to the threat of war was very low. But… That wasn't the point. The point was that anything she said and did would always go back to the village. She was representing the whole of Konoha on this mission, so had to act appropriately and professionally. That was something Sakura learned at a very young age – it was partly why she couldn't believe Itachi was bringing it up now. Even Naruto understood those rules, although he rarely followed them.

"Will you be by my side throughout the entire mission, Uchiha-san?" Sakura asked politely as she once again looked over to the village.

The thought of him never leaving her side was… aggravating. Something Sakura enjoyed a lot of was time to herself. Her 'me time' as Naruto dubbed it. But why wouldn't she? Now that Sakura was getting higher and higher in not only the ranks at the hospital, but also as a shinobi, it was rare for her to have any time to herself, because she was always needed somewhere.

"Is that an issue?"

He really could read minds, couldn't he? All those creepy rumours about his Sharingan were true. "Not at all. I just enjoy having personal time, but I understand that this is a mission." Itachi nodded once when she looked back to him. "Let me say in advance, however, that I'm really sorry for any mood swings I'm more than likely to have for lack of alone time."

Silence.

And much to her surprise, a ghost of a smile pulled at his lips.

"Then also allow me to say, in advance, that I forgive you for your mood swings."

Why did he sound like he already knew of them?

* * *

The inside of the village was no better than the outside.

The roads were uneven and dangerous for people to walk on, let alone drive carts on or ride horses on. The villagers – the ones who weren't hospitalised – seemed used to it now, though, probably from years of walking on it. It was like their feet automatically avoided the potholes and other dangerous hazards, without them even thinking about it.

Everything surrounding them was dreary, lifeless and depressing. Sakura had been hoping that it would have some personality, like some poor places tended to, but that wasn't the case. It was like it was all built with acceptance. Reluctant acceptance, at best.

Sakura's heart sunk as she followed Itachi through the near-silent village. The only sounds around them were the sounds of the market, which was probably a street or two away. Still, it didn't sound like many people were out, but again that was no surprise. Most of the villagers were in hospital and a good fraction of them had died already. The weather didn't help much, either. It was hot, sure, but it was also windy as hell, making Sakura wary of keeping her eyes open too widely. Instead, she closed them a bit to try and protect her eyes from the sand with her eyelashes.

Unlike the Hokage Tower, the tower for the leader of this village was just as run down as the rest of the village. She liked that, though. It showed that he didn't think of himself higher than his villagers. There was also no reception. Or anyone else in the building. She and Itachi had to find their own way around, but it didn't take long to find the right room. It was the only one with traces of chakra inside of it. A single chakra.

Itachi knocked twice on the door, loudly and unmistakably.

A few seconds later and they were being let into the office.

The man who opened the door was clearly the leader of the village. Despite his tired expression and the fact that he was dressed somewhat casually, it was clear that he was the leader of the village. It was in his expression, even though he was obviously tired and when he spoke, his voice held authority not exactly like, but close to that of Sarutobi Hiruzen's.

"Konoha shinobi," he acknowledge slowly. "Thank you for responding to my emergency so quickly. My name is Son Akahoshi and I am the leader of Dāto."

Dāto was a very fitting name for the village. It literally meant dirt.

Akahoshi's office was plain, but decorated professionally. He had everything he needed and then the odd decoration here and there, such as paintings of the previous leaders and himself – all separate portraits of course. They followed him to his desk, remaining standing as they watched him sit and remembering what Itachi had said to her, Sakura jumped straight into introducing them both.

"My name is Haruno Sakura." She gestured to Itachi, who was standing by her side. "And this is my partner, Uchiha Itachi."

The leader of the village frowned and his troubled features made him appear so much older. "My village can only afford one–"

"You asked for Tsunade-sama," Sakura interrupted, offering him a kind expression. "However, Tsunade-sama is unable to help you right at this moment. Instead you have me. Uchiha-san… He's part of the deal. If anything, he's here to protect _me_, so you don't have to worry about him."

Itachi remained silent.

"A-Are you sure?" The old man looked up at the Uchiha, his frown deepening. "You don't mind not being paid by us?"

He shook his head. "You cannot put a price on an act of kindness."

Wow, Sakura thought numbly as she also glanced at Itachi. That was kind of deep, wasn't it? But it was definitely true. An act of kindness wouldn't really be an act of kindness if you were being paid to do it – it'd just be another job. To do something like this voluntarily would mean… Oh, wow.

Did that mean Uchiha Itachi had a heart?

Ha! Sakura almost wanted to laugh. Of course he had a heart. At some point, everybody had to face the horrors of the world or the pain they were causing. At some point, everybody felt compassion and empathy and whatever else came along with those emotions. And just because she'd only seen or heard of the bad sides of Uchiha Itachi so far, it didn't necessarily mean that he didn't have any good sides. The fact that he had agreed to this mission, even though he wasn't getting paid for it, proved that point.

"Thank you," the old man whispered before speaking much louder. "Thank you a thousand times over."

The past couple of weeks must have been so hard on the old man. He seemed like he could be just as stern as Sarutobi, but because of the dire state his village was in, he was completely run down and exhausted.

"Try and get some rest, Son-sama," Sakura stated softly. "We'll take care of everyone and everything from here."

He looked torn, no matter how hard he tried to hide the look. "I cannot sit around, doing nothing while my people are suffering, Haruno-san."

"That may be true, but I am the medic here, Son-sama and I'm certain your villagers would rather you not contract this virus."

Something flashed in his eyes. A deep pain Sakura knew she had no hopes in understanding and it made her heart _ache._

Weakly, so very weakly, the old man sat back in his seat and swallowed.

She frowned. "You haven't… caught the virus, have you?"

Akahoshi shook his head.

"Son-sama?" Itachi questioned.

"This virus… It has taken so much from me already. Not only my villagers, but…" His hand raised and covered his sunken eyes, hiding them from their view. Sakura knew that his eyes wouldn't be the only thing he was hiding. "It has taken my family. It has wiped out my entire family!"

_No_. Sakura wanted to scream for Akahoshi. There was no pain greater than losing your precious people and that poor, poor man had lost all of them. He lost all of his most precious people… Yet he still fought hard for his villagers. Perhaps not physically he fought for them, but Akahoshi had dragged out every last bit of money he could get his hands on and handed it over to them in a desperate attempt to save them all. That was a true leader, in Sakura's eyes. Someone who worked hard to protect their followers, their people, no matter the cost.

He was an admirable man.

"We are sorry for your loss," murmured Itachi softly.

"I will do everything in my power to put an end to this virus," Sakura promised and by her sides, her fists clenched tightly.

"Thank you both for your kindness." The hand didn't come away from his eyes and faintly, the old man's shoulders shook.

She glanced up at Itachi, somewhat grateful to have such a strong presence standing by her side. He was like a silent support, in a way. Itachi was such a strong person, both physically and now apparently emotionally, also. No, it was more than that. It felt like she was drawing from his strength and it was helping her to stand tall. No, Sakura did not like to think that she was dependent on others but sometimes, just _sometimes_, a bit of help couldn't go amiss.

"I would like to get started right away, Son-sama," Sakura told him with obvious determination. "If you would please point me in the direction of the hospital, I will begin shortly."

His hand finally fell away and he settled her with a grateful expression. "Of course, but please allow me to show you your accommodation for the duration of your stay along the way."

* * *

"Please forgive me for not being able to offer you both better accommodations." He sighed and on the door, his hold tightened before he released it and walked further into the room.

She couldn't see the problem, even if it was on the small side.

"It is more than enough," Itachi responded.

They each had their own beds, which were side by side with a good few inches separating them – kind of like in a hospital, or in an ordinary motel. Between the beds was a single bedside table that held a lamp and an alarm clock. Other than that, there was only a wardrobe in the bedroom and another door that more than likely took them to a bathroom. It was a little on the dark side since no lights were switched on and the room only had one small window, but they could see around the room and move around without bumping into anything. That was more than enough for her.

The room was kind of like a box, Sakura decided, but she hid her thoughts and instead smiled at the leader of the village politely. "We're trained to brave all kinds of horrors. This is a luxury compared to camping out in the rain and freezing temperatures."

"Luxury?" he asked quietly. "You really believe that?"

"Yes."

His features warmed considerably. "I am repeating myself once more, but thank you for your kindness."

Lowering her backpack to the bed that was now hers (obviously it was lady's first, so she took the first choice of bed), she looked over her shoulder at Akahoshi. "You said the hospital is just a few minutes from here?"

He nodded once. "When building the village, our ancestors believed that the hospital should be outside of the village in case of attacks."

There were so many risks with that. And how many people had died on the way to the hospital? Then again, Dāto wasn't that large.

* * *

Like Sakura had thought: the hospital wasn't too far from Dāto. In fact, it was still kind of inside of the village, just not bang in the middle and a little out of the way.

And sure, Sakura could understand the logic behind that decision, but putting it out of the way like it currently was, was just asking for trouble. It wasn't exactly difficult to figure out what the building was, because it had a massive 'hospital', sign right in front of it. Still, this was not her village so she had no say in how they should run things. Even if she believed that they were doing it all wrong.

Looking over at her shadow as they entered the hospital, Sakura resisted the urge to sigh. Apparently Itachi felt the need to accompany her everywhere – he was taking his role as her 'protector' _very_ seriously. They'd parted ways with Akahoshi halfway to the hospital, as there were matters he had to attend to back in the office, such as finances and imports.

"And I can't teach them anything?" Sakura clarified.

"No. Your knowledge belongs to Konoha."

That was true. She was a Konoha-nin, meaning she _belonged_ to Konoha and no other village. She lived, she fought and she bled for Konoha and no other village. She was a loyal kunoichi who would die for Konoha and no other village.

The hospital was just as depressing as the rest of Dāto. It was a tiny place, making Sakura feel a rare flare up of claustrophobia as she caught sight of – not that they were difficult to miss – all the patients littering the hallways in their beds.

It was crazy.

It was a medic's worst nightmare.

The patients were all groaning in pain and discomfort and _the smell_. Oh god, she _knew_ that smell.

_Death._

Death came often to this hospital, it seemed. It also seemed like the staff here hadn't been properly disposing of the bodies. They should be down in the morgue, or should be cremated or buried. But here they were, mixed in with the patients and nobody paid them any attention. Like it was a regular occurrence.

Sakura didn't look at Itachi as he stood silently beside her. She kept her eyes on the horrific scene before her while fighting down the urge to throw up everything she'd eaten in the past day or so.

And then she snapped.

Without even thinking about it, Sakura turned and left the hospital, not even wasting a second to take a refreshing deep breath.

The door opened behind her.

"Haruno-san, would you like a minute?"

That was unexpected of him.

And unnecessary.

She didn't bother to reply as her hands flew through several seals before Sakura was biting down on her thumb hard enough to draw blood and as she slapped it to the ground, she muttered the necessary words and took a deep breath as the ground disappeared beneath her.

She went up, up, _up_. High enough to make her feel lightheaded due to the speed and change in oxygen.

"Sakura-chan," the gigantic slug greeted her.

"Katsuyu-sama." Green eyes drifted back to the door of the hospital that now seemed so far away. "Forgive me for being so blunt and to the point, but please separate and attach yourself to every person inside of this hospital."

It was because of being connected through the summoning contract that Sakura could feel Katsuyu's disbelief. Not because of Sakura's orders, but because she'd called the building in front of them a hospital.

"Yes, Sakura-chan." And as the slug beneath her began to shift and break apart, she added, "Remember your limits, Sakura-chan. Do not push yourself to heal everyone all at once."

Jumping down as Katsuyu fully separated, Sakura looked up to Itachi before reaching into her pouch, pulling out two masks and two sets of gloves.

"Don't touch anyone or anything in the hospital without these on and wash your hands if you _do_ come into contact with anything." She handed the gloves to him first, and then the mask. "And _do not_ take this off for a single second, got it? We don't know how contagious the virus is yet, or what's even caused it. It'd be best if we take all the precautions that we can."

There was a pause in his acceptance of the items, as Itachi watched her for several seconds like he couldn't connect the dots. Surely that was wrong, though? Uchiha Itachi was a very smart man. Or was he? No, he was. Sasuke wouldn't be so threatened by him otherwise. So what was his problem?


	10. Feared for a Reason

**Chapter 10**

**Feared For A Reason**

* * *

"Don't touch anyone or anything in the hospital without these on and wash your hands if you _do_ come into contact with anything." She handed the gloves to him first, and then the mask. "And _do not_ take this off for a single second, got it? We don't know how contagious the virus is yet, or what's even caused it. It'd be best if we take all the precautions that we can."

There was a pause in his acceptance of the items, as Itachi watched her for several seconds like he couldn't connect the dots. Surely that was wrong, though? Uchiha Itachi was a very smart man. Or was he? No, he was. Sasuke wouldn't be so threatened by him otherwise.

So what was his problem?

Not taking any notice, because she certainly had more important things to be thinking about, Sakura slipped her own mask over her mouth and nose and pulled on the elbow-length gloves. Once it was safe to do so, she re-entered the hospital and put herself straight to work, going off her connection with Katsuyu to find the most severe cases and working with them first.

For the minor cases, Katsuyu would be able to stabilise them. For the more severe ones, Sakura would have to take a look at them herself. She'd also have to experiment a bit to try and find the cure to the virus.

It was easy to see why they thought it was just a cold in the beginning, though. Sakura frowned as her chakra worked its way through the body of a middle aged man. He had all the symptoms, only now they were escalating. His breathing was ragged and his skin was sweaty, along with others symptoms you usually found in mild cases of a cold. The only difference was the racing heartbeat and the first two things.

However, aside from the obvious reasons, Sakura could tell that it was not a cold.

This illness… It had a source. The further her healing chakra probed, the stronger the illness became. It was like it was leaking from a particular area in the body, overflowing from… Her frown deepened as she found the source of his illness. His stomach.

Green eyes snapped to the other end of the room. It was a small ward, one that was filled with thirteen other patients. There was a satisfactory space between each bed, but it would easily grow overcrowded should more than two people be stood by its side. It was the reason why her partner was standing beside the door, waiting patiently.

"Uchiha-san?"

Apparently his dark eyes had never left her and while previously, Sakura would have found it unnerving, she was used to being watched in situations such as these. Either her shishou or Shizune would be watching over her, or younger, less experienced medics would be in hopes of learning something.

He approached her silently and stood a good few feet away from her, leaving enough room for Sakura to continue working. She was grateful for that.

"Have you found something, Haruno-san?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Sakura and on the man's stomach, her hands shifted and the green glow grew stronger. "Please go into my left pouch and retrieve my summoning scroll. You will find two buckets in there."

Nodding once and not questioning her, he did as she ordered and retrieved said buckets. A second later and he was following yet another order of filling them with water, using one of his many jutsu to do so.

"Okay, I need you to hold him down for me. You can leave the buckets on the table."

Itachi placed the buckets down and walked around the bed, watching the patient for just a second as he found a suitable area to place his hands without further harming the man. One hand rested on his chest while the other held onto one hip. Part of Sakura wondered if she should ask more medics to help, but she refrained. Just one look into Itachi's eyes told her that the man wouldn't move an inch from the bed. Very briefly, she wondered how he would do against her in an arm wrestling match, but dismissed the thought as she picked up the water with the use of her chakra and held it against the patient's stomach.

"I'm about to start," she informed the Uchiha. "Be ready for a jerk…"

Just as the words left her mouth, the man laying between them began to convulse as the water entered his body through his skin. Against Itachi's hands, his body shook and he let out the most awful sounding screams, despite being in an near-unconscious state.

It worried the other patients, though. Sakura could tell without even looking at them as they began to fight against unconsciousness to see what was happening. That could be a problem. If they believed she was doing more harm than good, then they obviously wouldn't want her anywhere near them – and that was fair. She would feel the same way, had she been in their position. However, there would also be a few who feared being in pain, so wouldn't want her to work on them, either.

Straightening her hand, Sakura focused all of her chakra onto the man's stomach and as slowly and as gently as she possibly could, began to pull her hand away from his body.

First, the water started to leave his body, but the more she pulled her hand away, the darker the once clear water became.

Eventually it was nothing more than inky blackness.

"What is that?" Itachi questioned.

She didn't look at him, merely dropped the vile virus into the bucket and continued her work, taking more clean water from the next bucket.

"It's not a virus like I originally thought," Sakura told him with a frown just as she began to pull more of the substance from the patient's stomach. "This stuff…" She held the inky black water in the air, examining it with a critical eye before dropping it into the bucket. "It's poison."

* * *

It had been a long, gruelling day and although in her heart she wanted nothing more than to be in that hospital, continuing to work on the patients, Sakura knew she would be of no use to them half-dead. Besides, Katsuyu was there, still divided and connected to them all and just in case she needed to contact her, Sakura had taken one of the small slugs with her.

Since making the discovery of the supposed virus, Itachi had gone straight to the leader of the village to share the information while also trying to learn more about him. There had to be something darker going on, after all. Most of your village didn't mysteriously become poisoned without something more sinister going on in the background. No, Sakura was not blaming Akahoshi for what was happening to his people, she was merely trying to take a look at the situation from all possible angles.

There wasn't much to him, what with his grey-white, short hair and his deeply wrinkled skin, though the amount of intelligence that could be seen in those sunken dark eyes was astounding. Like most old men, he was wise, but like Sakura had been thinking earlier that day: he reminded her of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage.

What else was there?

Everyone belonging to the village Dāto was frail and pale, though that was more than likely due to the poison working its way around their bodies.

What Sakura just couldn't understand was _how_ it got there.

The sound of the door opening had her looking up, feeling oddly grateful to see a somewhat familiar face as Itachi returned to their temporary apartment. Being unable to sleep, with nothing to do but stare at the plain four walls, was starting to drive her insane. If she couldn't sleep, then she couldn't rest up, meaning she would still be useless to the patients.

"I have taken samples from their water and food sources," Itachi informed her as he shut the door and made his way to the bed. It only took two strides.

That made sense. For so many of the villagers to be poisoned all at once, somewhere major to them must have been infected with the poison. Running tests on the water was one of the first things she would've done, shortly followed by the food.

"Do you need anything to run the tests?" she asked quietly, not even bothering to lift her head from the pillow as Sakura instead turned to lay on her side and watch him. "I have a few things in my medical pouch that can be of use to you."

He nodded silently while removing his sandals.

"I only managed to see half of them," Sakura murmured when the silence started to get to her. "Less than two hundred people, yet I-"

"There is no use in putting yourself down for something that cannot be helped, Haruno-san," he told her bluntly. "You did what you could and have already found what is making these people so ill."

"But I haven't _saved_ anyone," she argued and by her face, her fists clenched tightly. "It's so frustrating being here, yet being unable to do anything to save them all."

Why was she telling him these things? Why was she opening up to him? It wasn't unheard of for shinobi to seek comfort from other shinobi – that was why. Sakura wasn't too thrilled that she was seeking comfort from someone like Uchiha Itachi (her teammate's older brother), but she needed it. She needed to know that she wasn't alone in feeling that way.

"Then do something about it."

…What?

Itachi looked over to her languidly, seeming almost bored and it _pissed her off_. "Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, since you obviously cannot sleep, aid me in running thorough tests on the poison. From there-"

It was ridiculous how quickly she sat up, eyes wide with an emotion she couldn't even begin to explain. "From there we can break it down and find an antidote."

He nodded once. "You said you have equipment for this?"

Sakura shot out of bed and grabbed her pouch, easily finding the necessary scroll before she was holding it up. "We need somewhere sterile for this stuff. It won't do to use it here, where it's not all that clean."

Better. This was so much better than gentle or encouraging words of comfort. It was so much better than having him listening to her ranting or getting emotional. Kind of hard to believe, but Uchiha Itachi… He pushed her. Not in a harsh way, but in a way that was definitely needed. It reminded her of her training with Tsunade, and how the woman had had to beat some sense into her a couple of hundred times.

"Uchiha-san."

Pausing by the door just as Itachi put his sandals back on, Sakura smiled softly at him, trying to convey all of her gratitude with that single look and two simple words.

"Thank you."

* * *

"How do you know how to do this?" Sakura asked with obvious surprise.

Itachi looked up from his experiment, regarding her silently for a moment and during the pause, it made her wonder if there would always be that pause before his reply. Surely people got pissed off with him for it?

"ANBU."

When that was all he said before turning back to his work, Sakura realised that he had paused to find the right explanation. Since it was something to do with ANBU, he couldn't share too much. She wouldn't be able to ask any more questions about how or why he'd learned something such as this.

They had returned to the hospital only twenty minutes ago and hopped straight to work as soon as they entered a lab. There wasn't much to it and it honestly disappointed Sakura, because she was hoping they'd at least have a decent work station. Apparently not. So, instead, they were sat opposite each other on a square, metal table, each hovering over different things. For her, she was testing the food. In Dāto, they only ate things such as rice and birds – well, it was the major meal they all ate. Of course they had a few other things, but it was the most likely choice of food. With everything, they had rice, so if somebody was going to poison the food, they would choose that.

Itachi was working over a sample of their water. It all came from a lake. Just that knowledge had Sakura's gut twisting and it was why she wasn't putting much into testing the rice and bird. She knew, she _just knew_, that it was the water that was poisoned. Just in case it wasn't, however, she was still doing her own tests.

And as Itachi finally dropped a clear liquid from Sakura's pouch into the sample of water, her thoughts and fears were confirmed as the clear water became inky black.

"It's been tampered with," Sakura murmured and placed down her experiment. It had been five minutes and nothing had changed, whereas it had been mere seconds and the water already revealed the poison. "How far away is the lake?"

"Just under a mile away. It is their only source of water," replied Itachi quietly. "The lake has a stream that runs fairly close to the village, making it only a short trip to collect the water."

"We need to send out an alert immediately. Katsuyu-sama," She turned her head to the side, trying to see the slug resting on her shoulder, "please make sure none of the patients receive any water." That was something Sakura _never_ thought she would ever say. "Uchiha-san, will you contact the leader of Dāto, please? Explain to him what we have just found out."

It was oddly satisfying when _the_ Uchiha Itachi nodded once, accepting his orders from her without a single complaint. Mere seconds later and he was leaving via the window, most likely understanding her urgency to cut off all water supplies.

"All medics have been warned, Sakura-chan," Katsuyu informed her. "But how will you stop the people of this village from dehydrating, especially in their current state?"

That was easy. There was a reason as to why some of the villagers hadn't been poisoned: they didn't drink the water. To have survived this long, they obviously drank something else – a substitute. Whatever that substitute was, it would be shared with the entire village to prevent them from dying of dehydration. The only problem was whether or not the village could afford it. Could they afford the sudden increase of the substitute? Sakura brought her hand to her mouth and bit the nail of her thumb. It was a habit she'd picked up from Tsunade. This was her shishou's 'thinking' pose, as Jiraiya had dubbed it.

If they couldn't afford it, then what were they supposed to do? They could always have Itachi use another water jutsu, but there would only be so much water produced. There was no telling how great or full his reserves were. There was every chance he could have only a small amount of chakra.

She would have to contact him somehow.

"Katsuyu-sama, are you still connected to Uchiha-san?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan."

Nodding once, Sakura grabbed Itachi's experiment and brought it to her side of the table, already grabbing the equipment she needed from her pouch to create an antidote.

"Please contact him and ask him to speak to the Akahoshi-san about the village's funds. We are going to need a substitute for water – a large amount of it."

* * *

She still couldn't sleep.

Oh, she was tired – exhausted, in fact. Despite this, Sakura still found it impossible to sleep. Her mind simply wouldn't rest. And now that they had found the reason why everyone was so sick, her mind kept drifting back to her original problem: her _stalker_. Yes, they still had to find an antidote and yes, they still had to find a way to get a large amount of _un-poisoned_ water into everyone's system, but…

It was impossible not to think about him.

Those eyes… They were real. Sakura knew now that it wasn't just a dream. It couldn't have been. The fact that she awoke, still clad in nothing but a towel, was the first clear indicator. Not only that but the food Kakashi had left for her was gone and there was a single glass in her sink. Somebody had been in her apartment that night and Sakura wanted to find out who.

The guy… All she really knew about him was that, for some reason, he had the Sharingan, but claimed that he wasn't an Uchiha. No, he didn't say he _wasn't_ an Uchiha, just that you didn't have to be an Uchiha to have the Sharingan. There wasn't only that, either. His Sharingan had a completely different design. Not in the beginning, of course, because in the beginning it had the usual three tomoe in each eye. Afterwards, though, he did something to make them change, just before he knocked her out.

_What was it?_

Turning her head to the side, Sakura regarded her roommate wordlessly.

It had been a while since she'd shared a room. Years, actually. The last time she'd ever had to share a room was back during her travelling days with Tsunade and Shizune. It was cheaper for them to rent out just the one room, not to mention the fact that, should something happen, they were together and could fight for and protect each other.

However, never had Sakura ever shared a room with a man.

Actually that was a lie, but her former sensei didn't count, in her eyes. She'd been twelve at the time and had felt more comfortable rooming with him rather than Naruto. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke had to deal with his shit for a few nights – _alone_. That meant he'd been in an awful mood throughout the mission, too. Anyway, where was she? Oh yeah. Sharing with her sensei was completely different to sharing with someone like Itachi. First of all, she _knew_ her sensei (as much as anybody knew him since Kakashi kept them all at arm's length) and was comfortable with him. Second of all, her sensei was… Well, he was her sensei. Sakura knew she could trust him to protect her when she was at her most vulnerable.

Could Sakura trust Itachi? Her heart and mind were both telling her not to, but her gut instinct was saying go ahead. He'd been sent here to protect her, after all. It was his mission – _unpaid_ mission – to protect her. According to Sasuke, Itachi had never failed a mission before, so why would he start now? Still… The thought of sharing a room with a man she didn't even know, made Sakura uncomfortable. Enough so that she wrapped herself up in a robe that had been hanging off the back of the bathroom door _as well as_ her blanket.

No, Sakura didn't think Itachi would harm her in any way, shape or form. It was just the thought of him seeing her in a state of undress, or while she was indecent that made her shaky and nervous. Nobody had ever seen her in such a way other than Tsunade and that was only because of check-ups. There was no telling how long they would be here for so there was every chance that Itachi would see her when she… wasn't decent. The thought had her blood turning cold.

Hopefully, now that they had found out what was making everyone ill, it wouldn't take all that long to create an antidote for the poison. As soon as it was ready, Sakura would make sure _everyone_ in the village was treated, even if they weren't poisoned. Until then… she would have to deal with the fear of Itachi seeing her in a state of undress. Even though every part of her body and mind were screaming it was wrong and inappropriate, Sakura knew she would have to overcome those fears one day.

_Might as well start now._

"Rest, Haruno-san," came Itachi's soft voice. "You must replenish your chakra in order for Katsuyu-san to heal everyone."

That was how the jutsu worked, after all, but how did Itachi know that? Turning in her bed to try and get more comfortable, Sakura sighed. Like she had thought earlier: to an extent, Katsuyu would be able to heal patients, but she would require Sakura's chakra to do so. It was why she felt so drained, even though it probably seemed she'd only done a small amount of work.

Rest was impossible while so many thoughts plagued her mind.

Speaking to Sasuke had been her top priority earlier that day and now, it felt like it had been a lifetime ago. It felt as though she and Itachi had been stuck in Dāto for months rather than hours, but Sakura knew that was just her exhaustion and annoyance talking. She was annoyed because she still needed to find out more about the Sharingan.

There was always…

Her eyes drifted over to Itachi's blackened figure. She couldn't see much in the darkness of their room, though could tell that he was laying on his back with a single arm behind his head as well as a leg being bent at the knee. It seemed like a comfortable position and totally wasn't what she'd expected of him. Sakura had thought he would be like Kakashi: sleeping like a log, never moving a single muscle until he woke up. Her sensei would lay down in one position and stay in that position for the rest of the night. Not once would he shift.

Back to her previous thoughts, though!

Could Sakura trust Itachi enough to ask him such questions? Would he get suspicious of her? Demand answers? Would he connect the dots and realise she had a stalker?

For a split second, she hoped that he would connect the dots.

That split second was all it took to call out his name.

"Uchiha-san?"

"Yes?"

There was no pause, she exclaimed inwardly. They were improving! "Feel free to ignore me, but…" Sakura frowned up at the ceiling. Could she really do this? "Are there advanced stages of the Sharingan?"

Yes, apparently she could.

It was a lot easier than she'd thought it would be.

Silence.

Damn it and there she thought they'd surpassed the whole pausing before speaking thing.

"Is there any particular reason as to why you want to know?"

Shit, was he getting suspicious? "I just… thought I saw a difference in another Uchiha's Sharingan, that's all."

Forget her previous thoughts. It would be wrong to tell Itachi about her stalker. Or saviour. Whatever the hell he was, it would be wrong, wouldn't it? What would happen if she told him? He'd probably be angry with her, wouldn't he? And rightly so. Having a stalker was dangerous, as it could jeopardise the mission, or could even cost the lives of her teammates'.

"You most likely saw Shisui's eyes," he murmured quietly in response. "To answer your question: yes, there are more advanced stages of the Sharingan, however, for one to possess such a power, they must go through a terrible and traumatic loss."

Oh.

Wait…

Shisui had an advanced Sharingan? Did that make him her stalker? It would make sense, considering the fact that her stalker managed to somehow sneak into Konoha without any alarms being sounded, or without anybody noticing his presence. But that didn't seem right. She'd heard Shisui speak many times before and he sounded nothing like the man who stalked her. His voice, while still nice to listen to, was not as smooth or as soft. It was deeper, too.

"Is Shisui-san the only one to have this… advanced Sharingan?"

"As far as my clan is aware of."

So there was a possibility of an Uchiha who _didn't_ live within Konoha's walls to have the advanced stage of the Sharingan. Then again, her stalker said he wasn't an Uchiha. It sounded so rude referring to the guy who'd saved her life as a stalker, but that was what he was, wasn't it? Or was he?

No, he was.

"And that's why Shisui-san's eyes have that design? The one that's different from everyone else's, I mean."

"Yes."

Oh Gods. Sakura had thought that knowing the truth would make her feel better, but it didn't. Knowing that having a different kind of sharingan meant the guy was stronger… It was stomach churning. And what if Uchiha Shisui _was_ her stalker? What was she supposed to do about it? He was one of the most respected shinobi from her village. To outright accuse him of something like that, only to find out she was wrong, would be dangerous.

"It's scary to think of the Sharingan being more powerful than what it already is." Sakura chuckled sheepishly, trying to smother her building panic.

"It is only scary when the power of the Sharingan is being used for the wrong reasons, or by someone with ill intentions."

"Is Shisui-san's Sharingan scary?"

Another pause. Instead of the usual pause, however, Itachi turned his head in her direction. Due to it being dark, she couldn't see what expression he was making – if he was even making one, which was highly unlikely. What was he hoping to find? Sakura continued to stare at the ceiling, pretending she hadn't noticed his movement or pause.

There must not have been anything he found negative, because Itachi soon replied to her question – and answered it honestly, she hoped. "Many fear the power of Shisui's eyes," he admitted and Sakura could feel his eyes lingering on her face, watching her reaction. "And so they should, for his eyes are a weapon that should never be taken lightly."

No Sharingan should ever be taken lightly, in her personal opinion. In one way or another, it gave somebody the upper hand. Okay maybe not always because the person had to be fast enough to keep up with it, in order to dodge attacks and whatnot, but that was beside the point.

"…But Shisui-san isn't a bad guy."

"He will do anything to protect Konoha."

Her stomach dropped.

_He didn't say no._

One question continued to run through her mind and it was slowly going to drive her insane, of that Sakura was certain.

Was Uchiha Shisui her stalker?


	11. The Clashing Begins

**Chapter 11**

**The Clashing Begins**

* * *

She was losing them.

"Stay with me!" Sakura growled through clenched teeth and beneath her, her hands worked hard at starting chest compressions. "Don't die!"

The body on the hospital bed shook with the force of her chest compressions. It was the only movement made by the woman who was just scraping twenty-five. Lifeless, glazed brown eyes stared up at the stained ceiling and her pale skin was already turning cold.

"Don't die!"

"Sakura-chan," Katsuyu whispered gently, trying her best to comfort the young girl. "Stop. She's gone."

"No!"

She couldn't lose another patient.

Not another one!

"Think of the others," the slug tried to make her see sense. "Those who are still alive will need your chakra. Do not waste it in such a way and accept things for what they are: you have lost a patient, but now is not the time to give in. Not while the others still need you."

Katsuyu was right, Sakura knew she was, but…

Heavy eyes glanced over to the clock on the wall.

"Time of death, twelve-oh-seven."

She had just lost her forty-eighth patient.

* * *

It had been two days since they arrived in Dāto and since the arrival, Sakura had barely slept a wink.

Whenever she was not in the hospital trying to save people, she was in the pathetic excuse of a lab, using the small amount of medicinal herbs to try and create an antidote. The poison was extremely powerful, though, and she was beginning to lose hope. Without the right ingredients, there was no chance of creating the right antidote. At most, so far, all Sakura was able to do was prolong their lives. And even then, it was only causing them more suffering.

There was no describing the horrific feeling that settled over her whenever Sakura lost a patient. And as though that wasn't bad enough, in a matter of twenty-four hours, she'd lost _forty-eight of them_. Forty-eight lives she'd been unable to save.

Uchiha Itachi was of no comfort. In fact, she rarely saw him. He was either too busy trying to create a large enough water supply that _wasn't_ poisoned, or doing who-knows-what with Akahoshi, the village's leader. Sakura sighed and rubbed her forehead. She was beginning to sound ridiculous. What Itachi was _trying_ to do, was get the people of Dāto clean water, or something that would keep them hydrated. He wasn't sitting around doing nothing, like her thoughts were making him appear to be doing so.

This job… Sakura closed her eyes. She'd always known that it would bring her pain, or that it would always take a piece of her soul every time she saw something that haunted her. However, there was… It was impossible to find the right words to use to describe the horror she saw within that hospital's walls. It didn't help that the medics were dropping like flies, either. Of course at some point, they'd all consumed the water and now the poison was taking effect. The only thing Sakura couldn't understand was the timing. _Why_ a few days before they died? Why not have the poison kill instantly? Why make the person suffer? And what was the exact period of time before the victim died?

She had yet to examine the poison that far.

According to Akahoshi, the people of his village began falling ill a mere few days before her arrival, so… Why? Why were some of them dying the day after her arrival, and others two days after? Why not all at once? Did some of the villagers stop drinking water for a day?

"They receive money on certain days," explained Itachi as he finally returned to the room with more information for her, as well as more herbs he'd been foraging without straying too far from Dāto. To aid him, Sakura had given the Uchiha her book on herbs. "For example, the wealthier part of Dāto receive their money on the first day of the week, while the poorer receive their money on the last."

How did that effect their water intake, though? Shouldn't they all still be drinking the water?

Of course, Itachi had answers for those questions, too. "The substitute, Haruno-san. When they receive their payment, they buy the substitute for water – which is milk or orange juice here – and instead of water, they drink nothing but the substitute."

When put like that, it made more sense. "So the wealthier section of Dāto…"

"Are the ones who are dying first."

It was hard to believe that any part of Dāto was wealthy, but Sakura supposed that, to them, it _must_ have been wealth. That annoyed her, though. Surely they would split the money evenly between each family? That way, nobody would go without. Then again, if that was the case, everybody would be dead already.

"That's why Akahoshi-san's family is already dead," Sakura realised with surprise. "Since we're only just on the beginning of the week now, they would have gone longer without their 'substitute', so they'd all be relying on water."

"Yes."

"But… What about Akahoshi-san?" she asked him quietly as a horrible feeling curled in her stomach. "Why isn't he…?"

It surprised her when it seemed as though Itachi held back a sigh, but she said nothing and instead watched as he sat down opposite her at the metal table. Like herself, it was obvious he was running low on energy, but he continued to fight his exhaustion. It stunned her, in all honesty. He had seemed like a completely different guy back in the training grounds, when he was beating the shit out of his younger brother.

"He is not proud of it," Itachi stated and he watched her eyes, making Sakura shift in her seat uncomfortably, no matter how hard she tried to hide the reaction. "But Akahoshi-san kept a stash of milk as well as orange juice, one his family did not know about. While they drank the water, he drank from his stash."

How horrible! Akahoshi had seemed like such an empathetic and selfless old man, when in reality, he could be just as selfish as the rest of mankind. While his own family were living on basic rations and probably starving, he was pigging himself out on (what was to the people of Dāto) luxurious drinks and more than likely the food, too. Oh, it disgusted her. How could he do such a thing?

"Either way," Sakura wanted the thoughts of that greedy man out of her head, "we need to make sure nobody else drinks from that lake. I'll do what I can to fight off the effects of dehydration until we can get something else for them to drink."

In response, Itachi nodded once before asking, "Have you eaten today, Haruno-san?"

The question had her puffing out her cheeks in an attempt of holding back her angered growl. For the past day or so, he'd been on her case about her eating habits, demanding (in that strangely polite, yet not actually polite way of his) that she eat more if she was using her chakra so much.

However, Sakura knew that she couldn't eat too much, not when she would be taking food out of the village's supplies to do so. There were ration bars in her pouch that would restore her chakra in mere hours and they would do her. Sure, it wasn't filling and her stomach continuously growled for more food, but Sakura refused to take any food away from the people of Dāto. They were already starving.

"I'm not hungry," she eventually managed to reply. "And even if I am hungry, I don't have time to be sitting around and stuffing my face, Uchiha-san. I need to help these people by creating an antidote."

"What use will you be half-starved?"

His words made her bristle. Oh she could understand clearly now why Sasuke was so sick of his brother. Itachi acted as though he knew everything – probably did, but that wasn't the point. It ground on her nerves and made her want to throw a punch right at that perfect jawline of his.

"What use will _you_ be if you continue to nag at me like this?" muttered Sakura without meaning to, but once she realised what she'd said, she continued. Showing her fear of saying such words would do no good. She had to stand her ground, just like her shishou would. "Listen, Uchiha-san. These people are going to need _a lot_ of food once they're better to make up for the amount of food they _haven't_ been eating while sick. I'm not going to take any of that food away."

"Your chakra-"

"Is fine if I keep eating these things." She held up a chakra replenishing bar, shaking it in the air with obvious agitation. "I created them myself and it's made to restore _my_ chakra specifically."

Very faintly, his eyebrow ticked and it stunned her. "Then what about your body, Haruno-san? You will make yourself ill if you do not eat enough."

Sakura almost scoffed. _Almost_. "I'm not stupid, Uchiha-san. This bar has all the proteins and nutritious goodness that I need to get me through the day."

It didn't taste nice, of course, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she was taking in everything both her body and chakra needed to be restored. It would have been appreciated if there was a better taste to the ration bars and if they filled her up, but she was simply grateful to have been able to cram so much into the things already. Maybe one day, she'd finally make one that tasted good without taking out any important ingredients.

"Haruno-san, I must insist that you-"

But, much to her happiness, Katsuyu saved her from his nagging.

"Sakura-chan, you're needed immediately down the hall. There is a woman who is experiencing stomach pains."

She frowned. Just stomach pains? They were all experiencing stomach pains. "Immediately?"

The slug seemed worried and that worry was escalating. "She is seven months pregnant, Sakura-chan. I believe she may have lost her baby."

Not even sparing Uchiha Itachi a glance, Sakura shot out of the room and followed Katsuyu's directions without hesitation.

* * *

"Her name is Misa-san," Katsuyu informed her quietly as Sakura paused outside of the room.

Unlike other patients, Misa had a room to herself and it _pained_ her, since Sakura knew the reason why. Up until the pains started, it was more than likely that Misa was kept on the maternity ward with the other pregnant women or new mothers. However, to keep the others from seeing something such as this…

"Misa-san," Sakura spoke softly as she entered the room, not wanting to startle or frighten her, "I'm Haruno Sakura, a medic-nin from Konoha." She lowered her head to show the forehead protector, tapping it for a second before looking back to the woman. "Katsuyu-sama, my summon, has told me you're experiencing pains?"

The woman, like everyone else in Dāto, was a tiny and frail looking thing that was pale and sweaty and trembling, though that could have been because of the pain. Her short hair was almost as bright as Naruto's clothing, but it suited her pale skin and light coloured eyes beautifully. Had she not looked so sick, Sakura was certain that Misa would look stunning – a woman who could have any man she wanted.

"Please…" Her full, bottom lip trembled. "I haven't felt any movement since I woke up."

Sakura's heart stopped. "Are you sure? Sometimes it can be normal not to feel any movement for a short period of time." Placing her pouch down onto the table at the bottom of the bed, she made her way over to the woman, frowning softly. "How long have you been awake for, Misa-san?"

"Since last night," she whispered in return, like she was unable to find her voice.

Sensing that there were people approaching outside, Sakura walked over to the door and shut it firmly, understanding without even asking that Misa would appreciate the privacy. The more watchful eyes, the more panicked the woman would become and that was the last thing they needed at that moment in time.

"How far along are you?" asked Sakura as she returned Misa's side.

"I don't know exactly…" she admitted. "But I know I'm at the beginning of my third trimester."

How could she not know? Sakura frowned inwardly but didn't comment. Surely the nurses here were capable of finding something such as that out? Then again, the medical equipment in this particular hospital wasn't very modern. It was actually pretty old and was way behind that of Konoha's. That was probably why they couldn't tell her such things.

"Okay, I need you to breathe calmly," she told Misa softly. "The medics from my village, including myself, use something known as chakra to examine their patients. Have you ever heard of it before?"

"Vaguely… I think." The redhead frowned in response. "It's something to do with shinobi, right?"

"Yes."

"Whatever you have to do… do it," Misa begged. "Please try to save my baby."

With her consent, Sakura nodded once and summoned her healing chakra, waiting until it was glowing a steady green in her palms before she was placing said palms above Misa's stomach. There was a jolt of surprise from the woman as her chakra invaded her body, but other than that, Misa did her best to stay still and calm, mirroring Sakura's calm breathing.

Unfortunately, like almost everyone else, Misa was poisoned. She found the traces of poison the instant her chakra entered her body.

_Please_… She begged anyone who was listening to her silent prayers.

But it proved to be pointless.

Only seconds later, Sakura was slowly retracting her chakra, trying to ignore the heavy feeling in her heart as it sunk straight into her stomach, upsetting it further than what it already had been. Why was everything she was delivering lately, bad news?

"I'm so sorry," murmured Sakura. "Even though you have responded well to the treatment so far, your baby was unable to."

"What does that mean?" she whispered brokenly, her hands coming to rest on her swollen stomach protectively. "_What does that mean?"_

"It means…" Gods, she hated this part of her job. It always broke her heart. "It means that your baby has died, Misa-san. I'm sorry."

"How?" Misa cried.

Sakura swallowed hard, fighting hard for the composure she always used during moments such as this one. It would do no good to break down in front of the patient – it never was. They needed her to be strong for them in their hour of weakness, to help nurse them back to full health and until that moment, she was not allowed to cry. She was not allowed to be the weak one.

They needed her too much.

"The lake your village uses as its source of water was poisoned, Misa-san," Sakura explained calmly, despite the fact the reminder made her vision turn red with anger. So many lives had been lost and now, one of the most innocent of all… "That is why everyone is so sick. Your body, due to being older and stronger, is able to withstand it for an undetermined amount of time. Sadly, that is not the case for children."

She would know. Already, Sakura had had thirty-three of them dying right in front of her when the poison finally stopped their hearts.

"P-Poison," she whispered, her voice sounding thick with emotion and pain. "My baby was poisoned?"

"Yes," replied Sakura quietly. "The medication that one of the medics here would have handed to you earlier, does nothing more than prolong your life until I can finally manage to create an antidote." She lowered her head and bit her lip harshly. "I'm sorry that I didn't make it in time, Misa-san. I truly am."

"Don't… Don't blame yourself." Misa tried to clear her throat, to make her words louder and more clear, but it was a wasted attempt. "The poison wasn't… You're not the one who has poisoned an entire village." A single tear slipped down her cheek and on her stomach, her hands twitched. "You're not the one who has murdered my baby."

That may be so, but Sakura still felt overwhelming guilt for not being able to save her child.

"So what now?" questioned Misa, her light eyes seeming lifeless and dazed as they languidly moved upwards to clash with green. "What happens now?"

She was in shock, Sakura easily noticed. "You will need to do something that will be very difficult for you, Misa-san and I understand if you need a few more hours to collect yourself."

It seemed she already knew what she had to do. "I have to give birth to my dead baby, don't I?"

Sakura couldn't find her voice. No matter how hard she fought for it, no words would form, so she merely nodded.

Misa's eyes shut in acceptance.

The passing hour felt like it was all nothing but a blur and for that, Sakura was grateful. It would be better both for her mentality, and for Misa's sake. It would most probably be the hardest thing she would ever have to do in her entire life. Giving birth was already painful, but giving birth to a dead baby? Sakura couldn't even… She didn't even know how to _approach_ how that must feel. So as Misa finally collapsed backwards, trembling from a mixture of relief, pain and exhaustion, Sakura whisked the baby away, just barely managing to go through the motions of wiping it over and wrapping a soft blanket around the baby.

"It's a boy," she told Misa quietly, holding the unmoving baby delicately in her arms.

He was a beautiful baby, too. Already, the hair that was growing on top of his head was lusciously dark and his skin had a faint tan to it, telling Sakura, even at this stage, that the baby was mixed race. She wondered how, or when, Misa came across somebody with a darker skin tone, since everyone in Dāto was extremely pale.

Such a stupid thought, she instantly scolded herself. It was possible that genes could skip a generation or two.

"Would you like to hold your son, Misa-san?"

It would be easier to block out her emotions and thoughts if she watched from behind a blank mask and a closed off heart. However, Misa would need her support and Sakura was definitely no heartless robot. Medics were supposed to be _feeling_ so that they could empathise with their patients and full of heart so that they could fight with everything they had to save their patients.

So instead, Sakura watched with an aching heart and with blurring vision as Misa accepted her child and her bottom lip trembled as the woman kissed her son's face, whispering about how sorry she was.

"It was supposed to be just the two of us," she whispered softly, caressing his still face. "The two of us in this… brand new place, starting new lives." A tear slipped down her cheek. "But… You have a different path now, so please remember me. Please don't forget me. I'll keep you in my heart always."

Then, her light eyes moved to Sakura's, silently begging for her to take the baby away. "Are you sure?" Sakura asked quietly. The lump in her throat made it near impossible to talk. "There's no rush."

"Please," she begged, a silent sob shaking her body. "Please take him."

Without another word, Sakura took the baby from his mother and held him close. "I will set up a crib for him, Misa-san. That way, you will have a short amount of time to say your goodbyes, should you change your mind."

She nodded quickly and covered her mouth, her expression crumbling.

"What would you like to call him, Misa-san?"

"Chiriku." Misa swallowed back a sob. "His name is Chiriku."

Sakura knew not to ask any questions about her short speech to Chiriku, or about her family or partner, as it would be grossly invading her privacy, especially at a time such as this.

"Make sure he's warm," Misa cried as Sakura turned to the door. "And please don't leave him to sleep alone! Keep something with him – a teddy, maybe!"

Tears filled her eyes and she had to fight back the traitorous shake of her voice. "Yes, Misa-san!"

With that, she quickly fled the room, trying her hardest to ignore the wail of pure agony that echoed down the hall.

* * *

Such a waste.

Sakura's eyes were heavy as she left the room holding Chiriku's body.

It wasn't fair for such a new and innocent life to be wasted like Chiriku's had been. He hadn't even had the chance to breathe their air, or to see his mother's face, or to hear her voice from the outside world. He would never feel what it was like to be able to run around, or laugh, or cry or be happy. No, because of whatever monster had poisoned that lake, he would forever be stuck like this.

A stillborn.

Sakura fell back against the wall, covering her mouth to try and stifle the sudden sobs that took over her. It was hard enough losing a patient, but when your patient lost the tiny being that was growing inside of them? She couldn't even find the words to describe such a heartbreak.

But now wasn't the time to focus on her own heartbreak.

Wiping her eyes roughly, Sakura pushed away from the wall and walked with as much purpose as she possibly could towards Misa's room.

"_Quick, medics get outside!"_

_What now? _Sakura frowned as she quickened her pace.

"_Keep all patients away from the windows!"_

With her frown deepening, she turned towards the nearest window to try and find out what all the commotion was about.

Only to stumble backwards at the sight that greeted her.

"Misa-san," Sakura whispered and her back once more connected with the wall.

This time, however, she wasn't strong enough to keep standing and instead slid down it, her legs buckling under the pressure of what her eyes had just seen. Her backside ached as it dropped to the cold, hard ground harshly, but Sakura couldn't feel it. She was too sick, too numb. Everything was going in slow motion around her and all she could see was…

Misa.

The heartbroken woman had…

Sakura swallowed hard and shut her eyes, a fresh wave of sobs threatening to take over her.

All Sakura could see was the woman's broken body. The fall from the second story window wouldn't have killed her, had Misa been at full health. It was because of the poison and the weakened state that childbirth it left her in, however, that she did not survive. Just one glance at her face made it obvious Misa was dead.

She had killed herself to be with her son, her Chiriku.

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she'd been hunched against the wall for, curled in on herself and quietly sobbing until there were no more tears left to cry. However long it was, it was long enough for him to come looking for her.

"Sakura."

Heavily, her aching eyes drifted upwards, squinting at the dark figure looming over her. She needn't have looked. Already, she knew who it was, so stayed silent, even as he leaned down and scooped her up, holding her to his chest. Within seconds they were outside, travelling at such a speed that it made her dizzy. In response Sakura shut her eyes and pressed her face into the man's neck, praying that he could take away her pain, just like he was taking her away from the place that caused her such pain.

"I couldn't…"

Her voice must have stirred something within him, because the man holding her tightened his grip, brought her even closer and (much to her surprise when she would recall the situation later) kissed her forehead.

Warmth enveloped her as they entered a building, but Sakura didn't focus on her surroundings. All she could focus on was the safety the man radiated as he kept her close and continued to move. To where, she had no idea and at that moment in time, she truly didn't care. All Sakura wanted was for the pain in her heart to stop.

There was one thing she could not ignore, however, and that was the softness that greeted her as the man lowered her onto something. It took a few seconds to work out that it was her bed back at the apartment she was temporarily sharing with Itachi.

Wait…

Itachi!

"You can't be here," Sakura suddenly whispered, even though her grip on the guy said otherwise. "If Uchiha-san should see you-"

"Please worry about yourself, Sakura," was all her saviour replied with.

She didn't complain when he sat beside her on the bed and reached out, brushing the hair from her face. She also didn't complain when he took her hand and held it gently.

"I shouldn't have left Misa-san alone," she confessed after a while of silence drifted by. "Even if it was just a clone that I left behind, it would have been something more than what I did."

He didn't reply. All she got was a comforting squeeze of her hand.

"I failed her. In Misa-san's time of need, I _failed_ her a-and…"

"It is not weak to cry, Sakura," came his quiet voice when he noticed Sakura was holding back her tears. "It is not shameful, either. Your emotions are what make you human. Do not ever abandon them."

Sensing he was about to leave, Sakura gripped a tighter hold of his hand, not wanting her saviour to leave.

"Don't go. Please, don't leave me alone."

"You won't be alone." There was a smile to his voice, she realised and once more, Sakura realised that the voice was vaguely familiar. "Your partner is on his way here, meaning I must leave. As you said: it will do no good for him to see me here."

"At least…" There was no use in arguing, was there? Sighing tiredly, she tried to smile. "Thank you."

And with that, he left through the window.

Seconds later and the door was opening.

Sakura unknowingly held her breath as Itachi entered their temporary apartment, only pausing to shut the door behind himself and to remove his sandals. So far, he did not look suspicious. There was no looking around the room, no sensing the area with his chakra. Hell, Itachi didn't even ask about the chakra that had been in the room literally seconds ago. How was that possible? Could he not pick up on her saviour's chakra? How was that even possible, when it felt so… powerful? Or was she the only one who could sense it?

Oh, Gods. Was she going insane?

No, she couldn't be. _Somebody_ had taken her from the hospital and put her to bed. Not just somebody, but her saviour – wait, her stalker.

No…

He was her saviour, wasn't he? Once again, he had come to her rescue.

Wait…

"_Damn it!"_ Sakura suddenly yelled and by her sides, her fists clenched and slammed into the mattress.

She had forgotten to find out his identity!

"Haruno-san?"

Shit. Green eyes drifted over to the other bed, warily watching as Itachi sat down on it in a way that kept him facing her. When he was sat comfortably, he set to unravelling his wrappings and folding them neatly, leaving them to rest on the bedside table that was situated between their single beds.

"I have ordered for food to be brought to us."

He was kidding, right? "Uchiha-san, I-"

His eyes finally met hers and the seriousness of them had her shrinking back ever so slightly. "If I have to spoon feed you like you are an infant, I will, Haruno-san. It is my mission to protect you, even if it means I must protect you from yourself."

Oh she was going to scream. Why the hell couldn't he be more like her saviour? Her saviour was kind and gentle with her, whereas Uchiha Itachi was as gentle as a stampeding elephant. Her saviour, even if he disagreed, never argued with her decisions because they were _hers_, whereas Uchiha Itachi made sure to get on her last nerve about them. If something didn't go his way, he fought back for the control.

Bastard.

"I have lost fifty patients today, Uchiha-san," Sakura spoke calmly after taking many deep breaths. Slowly, she sat up, glaring angrily over in his direction. Suddenly, her voice was much, much louder as she yelled, "I am in _no mood_ for this shit."

He paused in his movements to look back to her, having looked down at his wrappings. And then, he raised an eyebrow, apparently unfazed by her shouting. "Then do not resist me and instead do as I say."

"Hell no!"

Dark eyes narrowed fractionally and in response Sakura felt a shiver run up her spine. Still, however, she refused to show her fear. She'd been taught by Senju Tsunade and Hatake Kakashi – who were both frightening in their own individual ways. There wasn't a chance in hell that she would show her fear of somebody like Uchiha Itachi. He didn't deserve to see it.

_Bastard!_

"Then you leave me no choice, Haruno-san," Itachi stated calmly just as there was a knock on the door.

Silently, he stood up and made his way over to it, seemingly ignoring her eyes as they bored into his back. If it could, her glare would have pierced holes through his body and in her mind, he deserved just that and more. How dare he treat her this way? How dare he act so insensitive towards her feelings? How in the hell was she supposed to _eat_ after a day like hers? Did he want her to throw it all back up? To waste the food this village so desperately needed?

Her glare only intensified as he accepted the food from whoever was at the door. Due to his size, she couldn't see who it was and at that moment in time, she didn't really care about who it was, either. All she cared about was making Itachi as uncomfortable as possible by continuing her deathly stare. If he was Naruto, he would've been cowering in the corner of the room, sobbing about how sorry he was. Unfortunately for her, he was even more stubborn than Sasuke and Kakashi combined.

She didn't move an inch as Itachi sat down on the edge of her bed, making the mattress dip under his weight. She also didn't move an inch when he leaned in closer with a serious expression, holding a plate and chopsticks in his hands.

"I will give you one last chance, Haruno-san," he stated in that calm, smooth tone of his. "You will either eat this without complaint and by yourself, or I will force feed you."

"I'd like to see you try." _Bastard!_

There was a sigh.

And then, he lifted one of his hands, creating a single seal.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_."

Much to her horror, three clones of Itachi popped into existence around her bed, crowding her and leaving no room to escape.

"It is your own fault why this will unpleasant, Haruno-san," Itachi told her tonelessly.

They all moved at once.

The clones each grabbed a part of her body, keeping her from making a single movement, while the real Itachi leaned further forward and picked up a piece of the food with the chopsticks.

Ha! He could try all he wanted, but there was no way she would be opening her mouth–

One of the clones suddenly gripped her nose, holding it until he had her mouth opening, gasping for air.

The real Itachi struck, shoving the mouthful of food in before she could close her mouth again.

"_You bastard!"_ Sakura managed to yell after swallowing the food. If only she could use her chakra against him without being branded as a traitor to the village. "Let go of me._ Shannaro!"_

"And here I always thought it was Naruto-kun who taught my brother foul language," Itachi murmured with dry amusement. Then, there was a pause and during that pause, he lowered the chopsticks. "Can you see now that I am not bluffing?"

It hurt her pride to do so, but Sakura finally managed to calm herself enough to go still and relaxed into their holds on her. The only further movement she made was a single nod and as soon as she did it, Itachi released his clones and handed the food over, watching for a moment until leaving for the bathroom when Sakura started to eat by herself with a churning stomach.

_Arrogant, damned bastard!_

She couldn't wait for their awful mission to be over.


	12. I'll Pulverise You!

**Chapter 12**

**I'll Pulverise You!**

* * *

It was done.

_It was done!_

"Thank you, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura cheered and brought the vial closer to her chest, almost embracing it. "You really are a lifesaver."

And she was. After asking Katsuyu to use a very rare jutsu of hers, the slug had managed to reverse summon Tsunade, relaying the situation to the blonde and asking for her assistance. The second Tsunade realised what Sakura needed, she sent over as many herbs and ingredients as she possibly could, along with another textbook. With the textbook, she expected Sakura to create another page and write about the poison and how to create the antidote. There was no telling if they would need it for future reference, though Sakura certainly hoped that they wouldn't.

The vial was only a small amount of the antidote, as there was no use in creating a large portion of something that had a high risk of not even working. To test it, after all the necessary examinations to make sure it was safe for human consumption, Sakura had gone straight to the first willing patient and injected it into their system. In a matter of seconds, the pain stopped. All they had to do was wait for the fever to break.

"Go, Haruno-sensei," the patient rasped tiredly. "Give everyone your magic medicine."

She couldn't help but grin and nod once, her determination solidifying and giving her more hope. They could do this. She could save their lives and heal their pain.

_There was hope!_

The second she was back in her makeshift lab, Sakura set to making more of the real antidote, carefully yet hurriedly going through the motions of adding the correct ingredients and mixing it all together.

"Uchiha-san," she muttered, not even glancing over her shoulder as he entered through the window at her call of his name. "I'll need help distributing this antidote. Katsuyu-sama obviously won't be able to inject the patients with it and there are only a handful of medics left."

Silence.

She grabbed some more vials and carefully filled them with the right amount of the antidote. "All you have to do is use a clean needle, find a vein and stick it in. Think you can do that?"

Oh, if it wasn't obvious already, Sakura was still pissed at Uchiha Itachi for treating her like a petulant child.

"I'm sure I can manage," came his reply.

"Then here." She turned and pointed towards the space next to her on the counter. "There's your half."

Much to her annoyance, Itachi didn't show a shred of emotion as he approached the counter and collected the vials. Why should she be annoyed? Because there was well over sixty vials and he was acting like it was only a couple.

"Start with the more severe cases first. Katsuyu-sama will guide you."

He nodded once and left.

_Bastard_, Sakura inwardly growled as she picked up her own half of the antidote and shot off to work.

* * *

One hundred and three people…

_Saved._

She fell back against her bed, breathing out a large sigh and unable to stop the grin that spread over her lips.

After injecting them all with the antidote, Sakura had waited somewhat patiently by their sides, waiting and waiting and _waiting_ for the fever to break, for all of the poison to dissolve in their systems, breaking away into nothing. Only half an hour after seeing the last patient, everyone was doing so much better. All they needed now was to rest up and drink as much as they could – _not water._

They had already found more than enough milk and orange juice to last the villagers a week, especially now that over half of them had been lost to the poison. Starting from tomorrow, she and Itachi would be investigating the lake to try and find any traces of what vile human being could have done such a thing. Until then, the lake was cordoned off in such a way that it made it impossible even for animals to get close to it – another thing Sakura was grateful for, since she was a huge animal lover.

Why were they waiting an extra night? It was just in case they still needed her assistance at the hospital. Sakura didn't want to leave just yet, just in case something went wrong, or somebody was possibly immune to the antidote. Didn't sound possible, but _anything_ was possible in the lives of shinobi. It was why she would be leaving a part of Katsuyu behind, so that they could contact her. Like she'd just stated: anything was possible.

Even…

"Uchiha-san."

He looked over to her. "Yes?"

"Thank you for helping me today," she murmured. "And I'm really sorry for how I've been acting recently."

Dark eyes went back to the ceiling. "You were stressed."

That was no excuse. Now that everyone had been saved and they were in the clear, Sakura could see how she had been acting: like a spoilt brat. Itachi had had every right to treat her like a petulant child, because that was how she had been acting. Hell, if Sakura had been able to see herself, she would've beaten the shit out of herself!

"…Thank you."

But for some reason, he seemed to understand that. Itachi seemed to understand that she was just a stubborn, demanding and desperate medic, who was trying to save everyone all at once, even if it meant making herself ill in the process.

"How are your reserves?" asked Itachi after a few moments.

"Almost full."

Once more, he was looking over in her direction, or more specifically, at her forehead. In response a small, irrational voice chirped up in her mind, telling her to brush her bangs across her forehead to cover the unusually large thing.

"That seal allows you to fight on the front lines."

It wasn't a question, but Sakura nodded once anyway, forgetting about her insecurities.

"Should we encounter the enemy, would you be able to fight, Haruno-san?" Itachi questioned her.

She hadn't even thought that far ahead, however, now that she was, Sakura could recall every single patient she had lost in the past couple of days, including little Chiriku and his mother, Misa. Her expression turned grim and determined and at her sides, her fists clenched tightly.

"Absolutely."

Somebody had to pay for all of the innocent lives that had been lost.

* * *

It was hot as they investigated the lake and like every other day, it was windy, too. More often than not, Sakura had to shut her eyes to shield them from the tiny grains of sand that threatened to impair her vision and it was definitely becoming a hindrance to their mission.

What was left of the long-dead trees were now dangerously close to snapping in half due to the harsh wind, but somehow, they always returned to their previous position of standing with a slight slouch.

There were no traces, that Sakura could pick up on, surrounding the lake. All tracks had been covered on her half and the poison was a dead end, too. It was impossible for her to take apart and put back together again, like she would with anything else to learn more about it. So, she was _really_ hoping that Itachi found something because otherwise, they were screwed and had no leads.

She reached back and quickly tied her hair up, making the ponytail rest high on her head. There. At least that was one problem dealt with for now. It seemed just about the only problem she could solve and it pissed her off, but Sakura knew to hold back her temper. Right now, they had enough shit to deal with.

"_Haruno-san_."

The voice was quiet in her ear thanks to the earpiece and laced with authority, telling Sakura without actually using the words that she was not to argue with him. She didn't, not when it could mean Itachi had found something that was actually useful to them.

Applying chakra to her feet, she set out across the lake, taking the long sixty or so strides it took to get to the other side. When across, she didn't immediately spot Itachi. Sakura instead had to take a few steps forward and look around until she finally spotted him behind a set of trees. How he managed to hide behind them when they were so pathetically thin, she'd never know, but that was probably just who Itachi was. If he didn't want to be found, you had no hopes in finding him.

"What is it, Uchiha-san?" she asked while approaching him.

There was no reply until Sakura was standing by his side, looking up at his features to try and find some sort of answer, but there was none. His face was as blank as ever. Silently, he reached out and grabbed a dull coloured shrub, easily pulling it aside.

Her breath caught.

"Tracks," Sakura somehow managed to force out as she leaned forward.

"They are not human."

What? She looked closer and frowned. "You don't know that," she argued. "The real culprit's tracks could be hidden beneath."

"Then what would cause this?" he asked plainly.

There was only one explanation. "…A body."

He didn't argue. In fact, Itachi nodded once, as though agreeing with her. What was that about? Was it some kind of test? Was he testing her intelligence? Or her tracking skills? "Clearly the person who did this is not expecting to be followed."

Shit. She had no tracking skills whatsoever. What was she supposed to do? Did she warn him? Wouldn't that just piss Itachi off, though? Would he regret being sent on a mission with such an inexperienced child? How-

"Haruno-san." How did he manage to break through her thoughts so easily? "I am aware of the fact that you have never been on a tracking mission before, and that you have never had any training in that area. However, as Hokage-sama stated: now is the time for you to learn."

_There's no meaning to a flower unless it blooms._

Why Ino's words suddenly flooded her mind, Sakura would never know. All she did know was that they were the truth. All flowers started as nothing but tiny buds that were just waiting to burst into their beautiful, fascinating colours. However, not all buds made it. Some got stuck in that form, unable to break free, while others bloomed into breath taking flowers. Long story short: in order to better herself and to bloom, this was something else she had to overcome. It was another barrier to break down so that she could bloom and join the rest of the flowers.

"Please, Uchiha-san." Sakura looked up to him once more, though this time with clear determination. "Teach me how to track someone."

* * *

Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult to keep up with.

Instead of drowning Sakura in a load of fancy words like most others would have, he was using a more practical approach, allowing her to learn how to track from experiencing it first-hand. She copied everything Itachi did and followed each and every one of his orders without hesitation, no matter how strange some of them sounded to her. As an ANBU captain, he would have had so many missions that needed Itachi to be a great tracker, so Sakura knew she could trust him in that area. He would know what he was doing.

In an effort not to overload Sakura with information, Itachi instead set her smaller tasks to begin with, such as checking branches on trees, or keeping her eyes on the ground. Like back at the lake, there were the same tracks in the dead grass that was partially covered in sand.

"Uchiha-san?" Sakura spoke softly as they made their way back towards the forest and further away from Dāto. "Does Hokage-sama know that we're tracking the person who did this?"

"Yes."

Oh. "How?"

"It is a part of our mission," replied Itachi smoothly, without breaking stride as he looked down at her. The height difference between them startled Sakura for just a moment, as she hadn't thought he was so much taller than herself. "This person – and their poison – is a threat to many villages, including our own. We must eliminate that threat in order to protect Konoha."

That made sense, though Sakura would have liked Minato to have been more clear on that part. Had it been just her team, they would have… Actually, no they wouldn't. They wouldn't have just returned home, they would've tried to find out who would do such a terrible thing – even if it wasn't a part of their mission.

And with the chunin exams coming up, it would be imperative that they found who did it – and took them out. There were going to be so many gathered at the exams. Shinobi and civilians from each nation, along with their respective Kage. It would be the perfect chance to strike against the shinobi world and inflict damage. Yes, their guards would be up for the exams, as they always were, but there was no telling how smart the attacker was.

Nodding once, Sakura looked ahead of herself.

They were walking at a casual pace. It irked her to be moving so slowly, but she didn't argue. Travelling at high speeds would make it easier to miss something, not to mention the fact that it could possibly alert the person they were tracking of their presence. In order to successfully track someone, you had to be level-headed and patient. Also, like with any other mission, if something went wrong, you weren't ever allowed to leave any clues that would trace back to your village.

There was something else that was bothering her, though.

"The tracks are so obvious," Sakura mumbled with a frown.

Ahead of them – hell, since they'd found the tracks in Dāto, following them had been painfully easy. There was no pause in them, which was fairly strange in Sakura's eyes, and they seemed to go on endlessly. The lack of pause aggravated her because surely the person would need to adjust their hold on the body at some point? Or at least take a break?

If they were travelling at such a normal pace, then they were more than likely a civilian. To be dragging a body for that long would be difficult for even a shinobi as strong as herself or Tsunade.

"Arrogance will always be a person's downfall."

The softly spoken words had Sakura looking up at Itachi, but he wasn't looking at her and instead ahead of himself.

So their target could possibly be an over-confident, heartless bastard. She knew a few of those, all right, so she would know how to handle that type of person.

But still… It looked and sounded as though Itachi was speaking from experience. There was a distant look in his dark eyes as they stared at the space in front of them and his jaw was tensed ever so slightly. Maybe he was talking about himself? Somebody he was close to? That was a curious thought, now that she was thinking about it. Did Uchiha Itachi have anyone that he was close to? Sakura knew about his family, sure, but they didn't seem as close as a family _should_. Then there was Shisui – she was fairly certain that Sasuke had once stated the man was like a brother to them. Was that still the case? Other than that, Sakura could think of no one. It made her consider him more. Did Itachi have any friends? Did he have a lover?

The thought made her blush faintly and she quickly looked away from him.

_Of course he had a lover!_ A loud, condescending voice boomed in her mind. _Take a look at him, idiot_.

All Uchiha were beautiful. Well, not all of them, but a decent percentage of them were. This guy seemed to have inherited the best, flawless genes – his brother had, too. Both were labelled as geniuses (which was a really hard label to gain, nowadays) and both were so very beautiful. So Itachi _had_ to have a few fan-girls lingering around. No, actually. He probably had a freaking army waiting around for him. One that he could use whenever he liked, wherever he liked…

_Stop it!_

Dirty thoughts were _so_ not allowed. He was her best friend's brother, for goodness sake.

"Stop."

The sudden order startled her, but Sakura was quick to follow it as she abruptly halted her movements and stood completely still. Her hearing was suddenly on full alert, as were her eyes as they glanced around the area, trying to find a single, simple movement that would reveal her enemy.

There was nothing.

"Uchiha-san?"

His back straightened and he turned to look at her. "There is a village just behind those trees." With his right hand, he gestured to said trees, though didn't look away from her. "Tell me what is wrong."

Tell him what was wrong? Frowning, Sakura followed the direction Itachi had pointed out and walked forward, slowly brushing the bush to the side so that she could see more clearly. Like he'd told her: the village was literally behind the trees and bushes. But there was definitely something not right about it.

"It's too quiet," Sakura stated uneasily and then looked to the sky. "And it should be really busy around this time since it's noon."

"Look at the ground."

So she did and her heart stopped. "The tracks."

"They lead towards the village."

Her stopped heart suddenly leapt into her throat as many of her worst fears flooded her mind. Over and over again, she prayed to whoever was listening, begging them that the vile monster hadn't poisoned another village or worse, used a different poison that killed them all instantly.

It was with a single look to Itachi that they made their way towards the village, picking up their pace to inspect the damage. The silence as they entered was eerie and made her feel incredibly on edge and uncomfortable. From just a single glance, it was so painfully obvious that a village such as this was supposed to be bursting with life. Along the streets were many market stalls and carts. To see them so devoid of life, despite being covered in merchandise and food and anything else, was downright creepy and unsettling.

There was a ringing in her ears due to focusing too much on the forced silence, but Sakura did her best to ignore it as she followed Itachi down the streets that were littered with wrappers, papers and…

A bag.

She stopped following her partner and jogged over to the bag, gaining said partner's attention in the meanwhile. Hesitantly, she picked it up and tossed it in her hands a couple of times.

"It's a woman's purse," she informed the Uchiha.

"It is a simple, plain bag, Haruno-san."

Annoyance flitted over her features, but Sakura held it back. _Don't blame him for being an ignorant male._ "Yes, but since it's impolite to go through somebody's bag, I tossed it in the air. That way I can hear the contents of the bag. If you opened it now, I'm willing to bet my pay for this mission that you'll find cosmetics, money and," She paused, shaking it one last time, "tampons."

Without another word, when she held it out, Itachi took the bag and opened it. Clearly he wasn't concerned about somebody's privacy, or the fact it was wrong to go through somebody else's bag.

When he was silent, Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Well? Am I right?"

It wasn't even a question and he knew it.

"It seems spending time with Tsunade-sama has made you one for gambling," Itachi mused.

Her heart stopped.

Surely she wasn't wrong? She never had been before.

Handing the bag back to her, Itachi continued, stating, "Unlike your shishou, however, you didn't lose the bet you made."

_Fuck yeah!_

Sakura smirked up at him and said rather cheekily, "I told you, didn't I?"

There was no reply.

It knocked her back down to Earth and reminded Sakura that she was not on a mission with an old friend or her boys. She was on a mission with a man who was practically a stranger – one who apparently had no sense of humour.

"We will split up in order to save time," Itachi told her and turned away. "If you find anything, contact me via your earpiece."

He was gone before she could even reply.

_Brilliant_, Sakura seethed silently as she turned and walked the other way, forcibly shoving the earpiece into her ear and placing the bag back where she found it. _Way to go, idiot. You pissed him off again_.

Taking a deep breath and slowing in her walk, she demanded herself to calm down. Stomping around the village angrily wasn't going to solve anything or help her to find out what happened to the villagers.

But even as Sakura calmed down and carefully inspected every inch of the village, she found herself growing more and more confused. Everything was left in perfect condition – almost too perfect. All doors were shut, though the odd window here and there was left open, allowing the gentle breeze to blow curtains about.

Uncertainty grew into barely contained fear.

How could an entire village disappear?

Opening a door to a convenient store, Sakura wiped her feet on the mat and looked up with a deepening frown.

Empty.

Music was playing quietly in the background and there was the hum of the refrigerators, but other than that, it was just as silent as the streets. All shelves were neatly stocked and the till area, as Sakura approached it, was tidy and well presented.

Wait…

Narrowing her eyes, she easily leapt over the counter and turned to face the till. It was open. No shopkeeper in their right mind would leave their till open like that. Anybody could steal the store's profits. This was definitely a sign of foul play. It had to be.

"Uchiha-san," Sakura pressed a button on the earpiece, allowing her to speak directly to him, "I've found something – not anything major, but it's definitely a clue."

Two seconds later. "_What have you found?"_

Was he still pissed with her? Jeez. "I'm in one of the stores. Everything seemed fine at first, but get this: the till has been left wide open."

"_Are you sure there isn't anyone in the store? Have you checked all floors?"_

"There's only one floor and it's a pretty average sized store," Sakura murmured with a roll of her eyes. Stepping to the side, she reached down and picked up a remote control, curiously pressing buttons. It seemed to control the monitor hanging above the counter because with every press of a button, the screen changed, giving her a different angle of the store. "Other than myself, it's empty."

Like everyone simply packed up and left.

"_So far, it is the same on my end. Keep-"_

When he cut himself off, Sakura tightened her hold on the remote and narrowed her eyes, unknowingly holding her breath and hoping to the Gods above that he hadn't been taken by surprise or attacked.

"_Suiton: __Suijinheki!"_

She dropped the remote.

Panic almost overwhelmed her.

"Uchiha-san?" No answer other than the sound of intense hissing. She pressed the earpiece harder. "Uchiha-san!"

Her stomach plummeted as silence took over.

And then finally… "_A kitchen was on fire."_

The reply had her growling with anger. Did Itachi have to scare her like that?

Wait!

"You mean-"

"_Yes._" There was the sound of utensils being moved in the background, followed by the gushing of a running faucet. "_Somebody was cooking fairly recently since the kitchen was only half on fire."_

They weren't too far behind, in other words.

"_There are no signs of a break-in."_

"It's the same here." Sakura sighed and leapt back over the counter, making her way out of the store. "It's like the entire population of this village simply… vanished."

It left her feeling confused. What in the world could do something such as this?

The warmth of the sun bore down on her as soon as Sakura left the shelter of the store. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, though, as it made a nice change to the weather back in Dāto. This was the sort of weather they had in Konoha – calm, peaceful and warm. Everything you wanted home to be.

"_Can you see the tallest building in the centre of the village?"_

Without having to think about it, Sakura leapt straight up onto a roof and looked out at the village. One building in particular stood out amongst the rest as it towered over them all. If the sign outside of it was anything to go by, then the building was a hospital. Just the sight of it should have told her that, but she supposed she'd grown so used to seeing Dāto's run-down old hospital. The differences between them both was painful. The outside of this hospital was pristine and white – cleaner than the inside of Dāto's. It was a beautiful little village as a whole, actually. If it weren't for the litter on the ground, or the eerie silence and emptiness, then Sakura would have labelled it as perfect.

"_We will meet there,_" Itachi informed her once Sakura stated she could see the building.

The journey was short and sweet.

Surrounding the hospital were a different variety of flowers, their different colours and shapes and sizes giving a homely edge to the hospital, making it appear more appealing and comforting. Most places were dreary and depressing, leaving patients to feel uneasy about approaching them, let alone going because they needed help.

Standing by the entrance and waiting patiently for her arrival, was Itachi.

"We will investigate the inside of the hospital," he stated when she was standing by his side, awaiting orders. "If there is nothing, then we can at least get a look at the records."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "It'll tell us when the last patient was admitted, and when the last was discharged. Not only that, but the records should also tell us how many patients are _supposed_ to be in the hospital, too."

They got straight to work. As expected, however, the entire hospital was devoid of life. All machines were in full operation and there were even surgeries covered in utensils and blood, but there were no people. Like Sakura had said before: it was like they had all vanished into thin air. But how was that even possible?

Only an hour later, after the entire building had been searched, Sakura found herself in the head doctor's office. Thankfully, the guy was neat, so all files were easy to locate and search through.

"Damn," she murmured and looked up at Itachi, who was stood by the window, staring out of it, "there should be over four hundred patients in this hospital and over one hundred were discharged at various times today."

He glanced over at her. "When was the last patient discharged?"

Looking back to the file and turning a couple of pages, Sakura replied, "Barely even an hour before we got here."

So close.

Biting her lip, she asked, "Do you think it's all connected?"

"Possibly." Itachi moved away from the window and only then did Sakura realise that his Sharingan had been activated, for his eyes suddenly faded back into their usual dark colour. "We must search the edges of the village to see if more tracks have been left. There is no use searching the village, as the person could have crossed their paths if it turns out this was them."

She nodded and placed all files back in their rightful places. It was quite worrying if it turned out that it was all connected. First, their target managed to poison a small village before disappearing with what appeared to be a body being dragged behind them. And now an entire village had disappeared without a trace. If it was the same guy, then Sakura knew he would be much stronger than she'd originally anticipated. He could be a problem for them.

Frowning, she looked at Itachi from beneath her eyelashes. From what she'd heard about him, he had yet to lose a battle. There was always something up his sleeve that gained him the upper hand and _kept it_ that way. Maybe it was his way of thinking, or maybe Itachi was just that powerful. Either way, he would know what to do in a situation such as theirs.

Wouldn't he?

Sasuke, between all the cursing and the snarling, always admitted that his brother was a force to be reckoned with. Combining his calm nature, his strength and his intelligence… Well, it was clear as to why Itachi was known as a prodigy, especially considering how it all came to him so naturally. As for herself… Sakura held back a sigh and followed her partner out of the room, then out of the hospital. She was no genius and certainly not a prodigy. At best, she was just above average. Her medical skills, Sakura would admit, were better than average, as was her enhanced strength, but other than that she believed herself to be rather… Well, average. There was nothing special about the way she fought, or the way she thought. Sakura merely did whatever she had to, to survive. But wasn't that what they all did? Doing whatever was necessary in order to survive? Some obviously did it better than others, sure, but in the end…

"Haruno-san."

The brooding thoughts evaporated as she was disturbed by his voice. "Yes, Uchiha-san?"

They were on the edge of the village already, she realised with surprise. _Talk about getting lost in your thoughts._ If she wasn't careful, she'd end up like her former sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

"For this mission to be a success, we must have clear minds in order to focus one hundred percent."

Oh, was he scolding her? "Sorry," she murmured, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "I'm just worried about it all being connected. How powerful must this person be to be able to pull something like this off?"

There were no traces of a struggle, no splatters of blood or torn clothing. It was almost as though they'd gone with their target willingly, dropping everything they were doing to follow the guy.

"It is not always the most powerful one who wins the war," stated Itachi and his dark eyes roamed along the trees, looking for any signs or clues. "The battle, perhaps, but never the war."

He was just full of his quotes of wisdom today, wasn't he? Sakura was certain Itachi should actually be an old man sitting in a temple, with a great long beard and a band of followers. Having him be so young, yet so old mentally, was rather… deceiving. Was that even the right word to use? She inwardly sighed. It was going to be a long day.

"Do not be threatened by our target if he is more powerful than us. It simply means that we must be smarter than him," he told her softly.

Why had she never taken much notice to how soft Itachi's voice could sound at times? When he wasn't being all cold and toneless, there was something soft about it – something familiar. Why it should feel familiar, she'd never know, but it was oddly comforting. Enough so that it brought her building anxiety down a notch or two, allowing Sakura to take a deep, calming breath.

"Right," she agreed with a nod of her head.

There was a ghost of a smile on his lips, however, it was gone before she could even see it properly. "What does your gut instinct say?"

He was speaking about which direction to take, wasn't he?

With a frown, Sakura considered her options.

"Remember everything that you have seen so far while tracking the target," the lack of tone was back in Itachi's voice, as was the blankness of his features. "Which routes did he take – easy or hard? Did he stick closer to trees, or stay out in the open?"

While the target hadn't been very good at covering his tracks (he'd been completely useless at it, actually and it was rather embarrassing and would be more so if it turned out he _was_ a shinobi), he'd definitely taken routes that would conceal him should he need to find cover or hide from somebody. There were always large trees and plenty of bushes.

She glanced around once more and took note of which parts had more cover than others.

East…

No, it had to be west.

Turning her body, Sakura narrowed her eyes and stepped a bit closer before looking to the ground, trying to find the tell-tale signs of-

There!

"His tracks," Sakura almost yelled to Itachi, despite the Uchiha being stood right beside her.

There were no congratulations or well done – not that she'd been hoping for or expecting any. No, instead, he calmly made his way over to them and Sakura followed closely, falling into step beside him as they once more resumed their tracking.

* * *

It was a beautiful sunny day, yet as they came across their target, Sakura felt all warmth leave her, leaving her to feel as though it was one of the coldest days of the year. All sound died out, making her ears ring in the silence that was left behind and her heart pounded painfully in her chest.

This man…

Her fists clenched tightly and her teeth ground together. It would do no good to start shouting her mouth off, just like it would do no good to run straight into battle without thinking ahead or trying to come up with a strategy. It was the quickest way of getting herself killed.

How did they know that this was their guy?

The tracks that were left behind… They weren't from a dead body being dragged around. They were from _him_. How, Sakura had no idea, for his entire body was covered in a dark cloak, one that covered most of his face as he slowly turned to face them.

The cloak.

It was familiar. She knew it from somewhere.

Narrowing her eyes, she focused on the strange red patterns on it, but it was all frumpy due to how hunched over the guy was.

"Uchiha Itachi, huh?" the man's voice was gravelly and low, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. "You will be a fine addition to my collection."

Collection? What the hell was he talking about?

"Akasuna no Sasori," replied Itachi. "I should have known it would be you."

Sasori… Sakura was certain she'd heard that name before, but from where? She thought back as far as she could and almost choked on thin air when realisation hit her. It had been during a lesson with Shizune, when the woman had been teaching her about poisons (since it was her speciality). His name had been mentioned and when it was mentioned, Shizune said the name with pure hatred. She admired his work with poison, sure, but she hated the guy and wouldn't tell Sakura why – well, Sakura hadn't felt it wasn't appropriate to ask why.

According to Shizune, Sasori was highly skilled when it came to poisons and was possibly one of the best in the world. He could create any types of poisons, including…

"You," this time, Sakura couldn't stop herself from speaking. "You're the one who poisoned that entire village."

How could he do something like that?

"And what about the other village?" she demanded angrily, her voice a low growl. "What did you do to them?"

"You mean the village not too far behind us?" he replied carelessly. "They are being made into additions for my collection."

Again with the collection. What the hell did he mean by that?

"Explain yourself, you bastard." She tried to take a step forward, but a hand fell to her shoulder, holding her back.

Some of her anger faded when she looked behind herself and saw Itachi. He wasn't looking at her, for his red and black eyes were trained entirely on Sasori. The tomoe were slowly spinning, a clear indication that he was focusing on his movements. Surely Sasori wasn't that fast, though? He'd been travelling so slowly that they managed to catch up to him, despite the fact they'd stayed in Dāto for a few days to heal those who were poisoned.

"I see you brought a guard dog," she heard Sasori scoff and in response, Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously as they snapped back to his and she grit her teeth, holding back her harsh retort. "But it seems you have not trained her all that well, Uchiha-san."

"Haruno-san, calm yourself," he ordered quietly. "Allowing your emotions to get the better of you will only lead to our failure of this mission."

And possibly their lives, too.

At the end of the day, that was what got her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, killed. She had allowed her emotions to get the best of her, allowed them to push her into making rash decisions. Had Ino thought ahead, had she been thinking with her head instead of her heart, then perhaps she would still be here. Sakura took a deep breath and relaxed and the moment she did, Itachi let go of her shoulder.

"Ah, so you _do_ know how to control her."

_Don't let him push you._

She took another deep breath.

"What are you planning, Sasori-san?" Itachi questioned calmly, seemingly easily ignoring his words. Everything about him was relaxed, in fact and Sakura couldn't help but wonder how he did it. "Why are you suddenly attacking these villages?"

"Suddenly…" There was a knowing lilt to his voice, one that unsettled Sakura greatly. "Tell me, were there any survivors in Dāto?"

Her stomach churned and once more, she had to fiercely fight back the urge to scream at the monstrous bastard.

"Yes," replied the Uchiha before he gestured to Sakura. "Haruno-san managed to create an antidote for your poison. Many lives were saved because of this."

Silence.

"Perhaps you aren't as useless as you appear, girl," Sasori muttered. "To be able to create an antidote for my poison within the three measly days it takes to kill a person is no easy feat."

Deep breath. Focus on her surroundings, though never taking her eyes off her enemy. It was a very basic and very easy way of calming down.

The area was a clearing, of sorts. Not much grew there by the looks of things, but it was still beautiful in its own individual way, as it still created a feeling of peace and relaxation, should somebody need it. There was a river close by, Sakura could hear and the grass was a luscious shade of green, telling her that it got enough water and sunlight – a perfect balance of the two, actually.

At the bases of the trees were a few flowers scattered here and there, though none were any of her favourites. They were merely the typical kind of flowers you saw in these parts of the forest. Way up above them was one of the clearest blue skies that Sakura had ever seen in a while. No clouds littered them and for a brief second, the observation made her think about Shikamaru. Would he be disappointed with the lack of clouds?

_Such a ridiculous thought._

Why were they waiting, anyway? Surely Sasori wasn't so great at fighting anymore? He looked like an old, hunchbacked man who struggled with his mobility. It would explain why-

Her green eyes widened with horror.

"You went to the village first and then to Dāto," Sakura breathed, unable to shake the sudden sickness that washed over her. "That's why everyone is gone. You poisoned them all first and then went to Dāto and poisoned them, too."

"It isn't usually how I prefer to do things, but recently I have found that I have less and less time to worry about how I collect the supplies to create my art."

Supplies? For his art? What was she missing here?

"Sasori-san specialises in puppetry, Haruno-san," explained Itachi patiently.

Like Kankuro – Gaara's older brother and teammate. From what she could remember, he used three puppets at once and they were all easily defeated. All she'd had to do was shatter them to pieces with just one of her punches.

"Sit back and drink some tea, Uchiha-san," Sakura murmured, her green eyes narrowing hatefully on the beast before them. "Let me deal with this piece of scum."

"Such big words for such a small girl," Sasori taunted.

Her patience snapped as all the faces she'd seen over the past few days, both dead and alive, flooded her mind. _"I'll pulverise you!"_

Suddenly, in a movement Sakura barely even saw, Sasori ripped away his cloak and crouched low on the ground, staring up at her in such an emotionless stare that it sent shivers down her spine.

"I'd like to see you try."

"This is not his real body, Haruno-san," Itachi warned her and much to her surprise, took a step back. He was letting her fight. He knew how much it meant to her. "And do not let his current appearance deceive you."

Just as the words left his lips, a huge tail came out from behind Sasori, startling Sakura for a brief second before she darted out of the way. It was no ordinary tail. Sasori's tail was made of metal – no, it was a weapon. It had a sharp point right on the end and Sakura was willing to bet that any weapon Sasori used, was more than likely soaked in poison, meaning she had to avoid being struck at all costs.

Leaping to the side at another attack, Sakura rolled out of the way and then continued to run to the right, bringing the fighting away from Itachi.

If that wasn't Sasori's real body, then where was it? Fighting with puppets was his speciality, along with creating and using poisons. For him to be able to use his puppet, there had to be chakra strings and he had to be fairly close. Considering the fact that she couldn't see any chakra strings, however…

_Inside!_

Sasori was inside of his puppet, but how could she get closer to him without being hit by his tail?

Before Sakura could even begin to come with a strategy, Sasori's mouth opened wide and stunned her completely by spitting out needles. In response, she pulled out two kunai and set to blocking them from her face and neck, but just as she set to do so…

"_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."_

A great fireball came from her left, forcing Sakura to jump back a few steps to avoid being engulfed by the monstrous fireball. It was huge, easily swallowing up the needles and the sheer force of the fireball threw them off course, knocking them all away from her body.

_Now._

He had created an opening for her!

Before the fire was out she leapt over it, coming down on Sasori from high above with her right fist clenched tightly and her body tensed and prepared to move away as soon as she landed her punch.

Much to her delight, when she hit him, his puppet immediately cracked under the pressure and only a second later, her fist was going straight through it.

Sakura jumped back once the fire was out, landing beside Itachi and standing in a defensive stance, watching with narrowed eyes as Sasori left the safety his puppet had created for him. His movement was almost too fast for Sakura to keep up with, but she managed to watch as he leapt further away from them.

It was a definite improvement for his appearance. Instead of having a hunchback, he stood tall and proud, with poppy red hair that shone beautifully in the sunlight, bringing out the redder highlights. The only downside about his appearance had to be his eyes. They were a stunning shade of brown, don't get her wrong, but there was definitely something… not right about them. They were dull and lifeless, just like one of his puppets.

Another shiver ran up her spine.

Creep.

Sasori also looked much younger than she would have thought he was. When Shizune had told her about him, it had been hinted at that he was at least a decade older than herself, yet he looked younger than Shizune (and she looked amazing for her age).

"It has been a while since I have shown anyone my real body."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Itachi fractionally raise an eyebrow. "This is not a 'real' body, as you have called it."

What?

He must have noticed her confusion, because the Uchiha continued, though spoke directly to her, "Take a closer look at his body, Haruno-san. The Bingo Book is never wrong and it states that Sasori-san is well into his forties. This man appears to be in his mid-twenties. Genjutsu has already been ruled out, which means-"

"He turned himself into a puppet," gasped Sakura as she took note of what Itachi was pointing out. Of course, she couldn't see everything his Sharingan could, but she saw enough to notice the differences. It was why he appeared to be so… perfect. "But why would anyone do that?"

Red hair swayed in the light breeze as Sasori tilted his head to the side, regarding her. "Art is something that endures through the ages and stands the test of time. My puppets are my art."

"You're insane," was all she could come back with, her words leaving her in a breathless whisper. However, when she spoke once more, Sakura's voice was stronger as she willed herself to stand taller and more confidently. "And how many people have become victims to your collection?"

"So far," He paused and had his face showed any emotion, she was sure he would've looked thoughtful, "I have over one thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven – that is including my recent additions, though they have yet to be made into art."

Over one thousand puppets. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. She had a vague idea as to how he preserved the bodies of his victims before turning them into puppets and the thought sickened her. He truly was a monster.

"Is that including yourself?" questioned Itachi smoothly, like he was simply asking about the weather.

Sasori replied in the same fashion. "Of course."

She tugged on her glove and created a fist. "Then I'll smash you into pieces, too."

"Wait, Haruno-san." Itachi held his hand out, stopping her movement as she started towards Sasori. "We have no information as to what weapons Sasori-san has in his possession, or what puppets. To attack him without such knowledge is foolish."

Another thing they disagreed on. "Wow, Uchiha-san. I never would've pegged you as a coward."

And with that, Sakura shot around him and headed straight for Sasori, who seemed just as eager in his own way to start the battle.

Her fist clenched tightly as she drew it back, a harsh growl erupting from her when Sakura threw her fist forward, but she was dismayed to have it blocked by the destroyed puppet Sasori had been hiding in. Somehow, without her noticing, he'd kept his chakra threads attached to it and had used it as a shield. But now that puppet was beyond repair, meaning it was out of her way.

Or so she thought.

Narrowing her eyes, she dug the heels of her feet into the ground, trying to stop her charge forward. This attack she _could_ see – well, hear. The sound of metal scraping along the floor before a harsh whizzing sound filled the air, signalling that a weapon was drawing closer to her at a high speed.

Sasori smirked.

_Shit!_

Just as she was certain the point of his tail was about to go right through her face, a set of sandal clad feet landed on it. With the use of his chakra, Itachi managed to knock it off course and down to the ground, pinning it there.

"This is why you must come up with a strategy, Haruno-san," he murmured to her. "You call it being a coward, whereas I call it returning to Konoha alive."

She gritted her teeth in response.

"You should listen to your master, little girl," taunted Sasori while severing the chakra threads connecting to the tail. "Though I must admit: your hot-tempered nature is rather… interesting."

Her skin began to crawl.

"With your strength, you will make a nice addition."

"Like hell," she all but screamed and once more charged forward, kicking at Sasori's hand just as he reached into his cloak. If they didn't know what weapons he had, then it was simple: they shouldn't give him the opportunity to use any. "I'll destroy my own body before I let you get your hands on it."

Like before, she lunged at him with her fist clenched tightly and aiming straight for his abdomen, but again Sasori managed to dodge it and put enough pressure on her wrist to send her fist flying to the ground.

Her eyes widened.

"Uchiha-san, _move!"_

It was all she could manage to get out before the destruction erupted around them, making it feel as though the entire planet was trembling. Pieces of the ground shot up, threatening to impale them all, while in other areas, huge cracks littered the ground, threatening to swallow them whole as they continued to grow in size. The once peaceful clearing was now completely destroyed.

_Damn it!_

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling Sakura to safety before she could be harmed by her own destruction.

"Think with your head, Haruno-san," Itachi warned her as he landed on the branch of a large, fortunately untouched, tree. Setting her down, he eyed her seriously. "You-"

"I am," she hissed in response and then tapped her forehead. "I'm ending it before I'm made to use this, or before Sasori has the chance to use his weapons against us. The sooner this battle is over, the better. We can't let him use any of his puppets."

There was no telling what modifications he'd made to them.

"Now he has the chance to use his puppets," replied Itachi with a more serious edge to his voice. "You have given him the distraction he needed."

"You're right, Uchiha-san," came a voice from behind them.

As the dust began to settle and things began to calm down, two figures became more and more viewable. It was obvious which one was Sasori, for Sakura had made sure to commit his outline and his features to memory. He was the smaller of the two and was standing in front of the other person, holding his hands out in front of him. It wasn't hard to see the chakra threads through the picked up dirt and dust.

The second person was huge and seemed to be hovering over Sasori, almost like he was guarding the redhead from danger. His skin was a dull, tanned colour and his hair was just as dull and lifeless. Sakura failed to understand what Sasori thought was so beautiful about his puppets, especially when they came into full view.

"The Sandaime Kazekage," murmured Itachi and faintly, his eyes widened a fraction.

Sakura had heard the stories about the Sandaime Kazekage, so was also unable to hide her horror and surprise. All this time… He'd been a puppet. When people had thought he'd merely abandoned his declining village, or died in battle outside of Suna's walls… This was really where he'd been. Trapped by Sasori's sick ways. But the stories also stated many times that the Sandaime Kazekage was certainly not a weak man. In fact, it was rumoured that he was possibly the most powerful out of all of Suna's Kazekage. So how? How did Sasori manage to defeat him? How did he manage to turn him into a puppet for his collection?

Too many questions and unfortunately, Sakura had a feeling that they were all going to be left unanswered.

They had to defeat him – and fast.

But how? She knew nothing of the Sandaime Kazekage's jutsu, or what he was capable of and that was _before_ Sasori's experimentation on him, or his added weapons. How deadly was he as a puppet?

The puppet towered over them all and his messy, dark blue hair swayed in the breeze that filled the clearing. What struck her the most, however, had to be his yellow eyes. They were unnerving, especially now that she knew he'd once been a living person.

"You have crossed paths with someone who is capable of manipulating sand, haven't you?" Sasori's smug question had a certain face flashing through her mind and she willed away the hate-filled, haunting icy blue eyes. "There is a reason as to why he is my favourite puppet," continued Sasori and as he did, the puppet behind him shifted. "You see, the Sandaime Kazekage was particularly difficult to kill, mainly because of his ability."

"To manipulate sand?" Sakura cracked a guess.

He chuckled without any real emotion and she felt a shiver run up her spine. "No. To manipulate iron sand."

What?

_What?_

Itachi's eyes narrowed fractionally, she noticed out of the corner of her eye and Sakura couldn't help but feel wary.

And then his eyes widened, causing her to snap her eyes back to Sasori, only for them to immediately widen with fear and shock as a large rectangular shape began to form in mid-air. _What the hell was happening?_ Was that… It was iron! He was using the Kazekage's ability! That thing had to weigh a tonne, too, Sakura was willing to bet. Her fists clenched tightly and her left foot slipped backwards, aiding her to fall into a steadier stance. When that thing hit them, it was going to hurt. Until she physically felt the object, there was no telling-

Wait.

It seemed her slight movement caught Itachi's attention, because he looked to her in an instant.

But he was too late to stop her.

She shot forward to meet the object that was now hurtling towards them, head on.

"Haruno-san, you-"

"_Shannaro!"_

_Crush it!_

Her fist flew forward just as the scream tore from deep within her chest and as it connected with the large flying object, a burst of chakra surged from within her, knocking it back and well away from them both. When it collapsed onto the already destroyed ground, it disturbed it further by embedding itself deeply within it, eventually coming to a halt in its movements. It stunned both men, but Sakura spent little time thinking about it because she was moving once again, trying her best to get closer to Sasori. He snapped out of his surprise quickly, much to her dismay and was soon creating more iron shapes to throw her way. She batted them back like them were merely balls of scrunched up, weightless paper.

He was building an army, Sakura recalled. Sasori was building an army, but for what purpose? _Why_ would he need an army?

Again, they were all questions that would probably never be answered.

The heels of her feet and hand dug into the ground as she landed in a crouched position and stopped her momentum. Meanwhile, her free hand clenched tightly and Sakura panted for breath.

"Just as I thought," murmured Sasori and he tilted his head back, looking down at her with lifeless brown eyes. "I'm going to look forward to turning you into a piece of art."

Creep. Sakura suppressed a shudder.

"Uchiha-san, I think-"

When Sasori cut himself off, she quickly looked over her shoulder to where Itachi was standing, but was surprised to find the area was now empty.

Her eyes snapped back over to Sasori the second he sucked in a deep breath. She unknowingly held her own as Itachi appeared in front of him, seemingly from out of nowhere.

What was going to happen?

She wasn't sure when it had happened, but all of a sudden, there was a kunai in Itachi's hand and he was raising it with a speed that was impossible for her eyes to keep up with, blocking a katana with unsurprising ease. Sakura was just as clueless about where the katana suddenly came from as she was Itachi's kunai. The grip on the katana loosened, allowing Sasori to break free of the battle of strengths. However, just as he was about to slam it into Itachi's chest, a flock of crows surrounded the pair, coming from the trees behind Itachi.

They attacked with a vengeance.

"Uchiha-san," Sakura couldn't help but yell, her heart leaping straight into her throat, threatening to strangle her as she lost sight of the two men.

"They are my summons."

She startled and spun around, grabbing a kunai from her pouch, only to relax at the sight of Itachi.

She gave up trying to keep her eyes on him now and could understand why he pissed Sasuke off so much.

The guy wasn't even winded. There wasn't a single hair out of place, either. It simply wasn't fair. Had that been her, Sakura knew for a fact that she would be doubled over, clutching her knees tightly and panting. She'd only lost sight of the Uchiha for all of two seconds and she was a good thirty feet away from where he'd been face-to-face with Sasori.

_Sasori._

How could she have allowed herself to be side tracked?

From the flock of crows that were squawking loudly and swooping viciously, the katana that was used to try and stab Itachi emerged, heading towards them at a fast pace.

She was pushed to the ground.

The large hand had touched her for a fraction of a second before Sakura was suddenly on her knees, just barely managing to catch herself with her hands before she ended up face first into the ground. Clearly, Itachi had been able to see the katana before she had, thanks to his Sharingan.

However…

It felt like time froze as Sakura felt the blade slice through her hair, as she felt a huge weight leave her head.

Around her, pastel pink strands fell to the ground.

Her eyes widened.

Oh _now_ she was pissed!

Sure, it could have been worse, but _her hair!_

Behind her, Itachi swiftly caught the katana and launched it straight back to the redhead. It was like he wordlessly ordered his crows to make room for the blade, because without a word, they parted just enough to let it through.

She was right behind the katana, flying through the air with her fist drawn back until it was whipping forward, almost whistling due to the speed and Sakura could tell when she finally connected with something, because there was a deafening crack, followed by Itachi's crows finally flying away. Remembering her shishou's teaching, Sakura then leapt backwards and fell into a defensive crouch in front of Itachi.

_Space._

_There could be surprise attacks._

But as the last of the crows disappeared, Sakura found herself feeling unsatisfied. Sure, she destroyed something, however, it wasn't what she'd been expecting it to be. Instead of finding Sasori's puppet body shattered into many different pieces…

Instead it was the Sandaime Kazekage's.

There was only a minimal amount of damage dealt to Sasori and that was most likely due to the fact that, at the last minute, he used the Sandaime Kazekage as a shield. It wouldn't have been able to protect him one hundred percent.

Slowly, Sasori pulled himself off the ground. It was gracefully the way he stood, yet slowly. If it weren't for the state of his now cracked stomach (which was visible because of the crows swooping down and attacking him repeatedly, ripping away some of his clothing), Sakura could have sworn that she hadn't even tapped him, let alone punched with nearly her entire strength.

He was agitated, though. She could feel it in the air surrounding them.

Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty, all clear signs of her growing fatigue and uncertainty. Why was Sasori just standing there? Why wasn't he attacking more forcefully? It was like he was holding back. By how much? And why was he holding back? Wary of being caught off guard, Sakura stole a glance at the Uchiha, only to frown when she found his red and black eyes were fixated on the sky. She tried to follow his line of sight, but there was nothing to be seen – at least not yet.

"He is not alone."

The words had her stomach plummeting. "W-What?"

Itachi's eyes moved to hers, cold and calculating and the tone of his voice was just as cold. "Retreat, Haruno-san. This is a battle we will not win."

_What?_

"_Sasori no Danna,_" a smug voice spoke from high above them, "_looks like you've gotten yourself into some trouble._"

Sakura quickly looked up, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun as she did so. What was up there? Was this what Itachi was talking about? Was it what he saw mere seconds ago? From her position on the ground, she couldn't tell. Whatever it was, it was moving. No, it was dropping something, but what?

"_It's time to show them my art, yeah!"_

And suddenly everything was exploding and on fire.

* * *

She awoke to a mind numbing ringing in her ears and a blaring headache that threatened to make her immobile. However, there was an intense heat approaching her, which was probably why she had woken up already.

It took way too long to stand and even then, Sakura staggered, unable to find her balance. What was happening? Where was Itachi? Was he hurt? Did he manage to make it out in time? Looking around herself, she seriously hoped so. There was nothing left.

The ringing in her ears intensified and a wave of nausea washed over her, telling Sakura that she was more than likely suffering from a concussion. It was probably from smashing her head into the ground after being blown backwards by the force of the blast.

Heat…

Why was it getting so warm?

She turned her head to the right, but was too slow to react to the sight of a raging fire making its way towards her. All she could do was stare with widening eyes, with a racing heart and barely even functioning ears (hopefully the latter was not permanent), because that was where Itachi had been standing.

Deciding it would be best to get out of there, she turned to run in the opposite direction of the fire, but she moved too quickly, too suddenly.

Her legs gave out on her.

Instead of collapsing onto the ground, however, Sakura found herself falling onto somebody's back. Part of her wanted to push away, to demand who the hell they thought they were to suddenly catch her like that, but she was much too grateful for the support. Even when that person reached down and grabbed her thighs, lifting them and wrapping them around their waist so that they could carry her.

"You a very reckless woman, Haruno Sakura."

Itachi.

It was Uchiha Itachi.

The aura alone should have been a dead giveaway, but for some reason she hadn't picked up on it. How was that possible? Weakly, she tried to open her eyes. All she saw was a blurred figure in front of herself due to her concussion.

"I'm sorry," she managed to mumble into his shoulder, shutting her eyes once more.

"There is no need to apologise to me." Unlike earlier that day, his voice wasn't cold or monotone. It was… warm? That couldn't be possible, either. Why would he suddenly be so nice to her? "Do not feel bad for your efforts, Sakura. You fought well."

Sakura.

He'd called her Sakura.

It couldn't be…

In her chest, her heart skipped a beat and it was no longer difficult to open her eyes or fight against her exhaustion. The thoughts in her mind were blending into one another, making it damn near impossible to tell them apart, but one thought in particular stood out amongst the rest.

"Please put me down."

They came to an abrupt stop on the nearest branch. She hadn't even been aware of their movement from the destroyed clearing.

Slowly and carefully, Sakura was lowered to her feet, though soon rested her back against the trunk of the tree, taking deep breaths to control her nausea.

Her heart stopped as she looked up and saw him staring at her.

Those… Those eyes…

"You know who I am."

It wasn't a question. "Yes. You're…"

With obvious exhaustion, Sakura's hand raised and her saviour didn't stop her as she reached out and grasped the hat, pulling it off.

It was as she suspected.

"Uchiha Itachi."

It was him.

Uchiha Itachi was her saviour.


	13. It's Not Possible

**Chapter 13**

**It's Not Possible**

* * *

It couldn't be possible.

There was no logical explanation as to how Uchiha Itachi was her saviour. For starters, her saviour managed to appear at the right time, just when she needed him, even if it meant almost crossing paths with Itachi. So how could he be in two places at once? Was he using a clone? Some kind of jutsu? Was this all just one great, big genjutsu that completely mind-fucked the victim?

Even though her heart was telling her it was useless, Sakura raised her hand and formed the release seal, keeping her eyes glued onto the man who was supposed to be her saviour.

Nothing changed.

"Release," she repeated more forcefully.

Nothing.

"Release!" Tears of frustration filled Sakura's eyes and her hands began to shake. "Release! Release! _Release!"_

Gentle hands rose between them, taking hers and holding them still. "Enough, Sakura."

"Get off me," she yelled angrily. However, there was no energy to break his hold. Not just physically but emotionally, too. Sakura was drained. "How _could you?"_

She felt betrayed. She felt as though she'd been lied to and made a fool of – and for how long has this been going on for? Years! Fucking years. To be more exact, it'd been going on since Sakura was just twelve years of age. Her so called saviour had been appearing and disappearing when she needed him most, protecting her and saving her life. And now he turned out to be her teammate's older brother.

Then, something finally clicked in Sakura's mind as she looked downwards. Not for the first time she was captivated by his choice of clothing, however this time she was staring for one particular reason.

The cloak was exactly the same as Sasori's.

_That_ was why it'd been so familiar.

And… And now that his stupid, stupid hat was off and resting uselessly by their feet, Sakura was able to get a good look at Itachi's face. He looked older than before, with far more pronounced tear troughs that told you of his burdens over the years. If they didn't, then his eyes certainly did. Even though his Sharingan was activated, Sakura could still see the haunting loneliness and sorrow in his eyes. But what stood out the most was his forehead protector. The forehead protector that had a huge, thick line going straight through the village's symbol.

Konoha's symbol.

It was automatic how Sakura tried to reach for her kunai, but Itachi was still holding her hands, keeping them from making any threatening movement.

"Traitor," Sakura snarled and somehow found the energy to thrash against his hold. "You're a traitor to Konoha. Let go of me!"

A wry smile pulled at his lips and his eyes lowered to their joined hands. "It has been a while since I have heard that."

What?

She scowled in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" Once more, Sakura pulled on his hold. "And let me go!"

But he ignored her demands and pulled her closer. Why, Sakura had no idea, but it made his eyes seem so much more intense as they locked with hers once more – if that was even possible.

_Why did he look so much older than he did earlier?_

"Your mission is not over," Itachi murmured to her, "not until you retrieve your partner from Sasori-san and Deidara-san."

What? "Stop talking in riddles!"

Her head was still pounding and the sound of her pulse racing was echoing in her head, causing the pain to increase tenfold. Don't even get her started on the nausea. It kept washing over her in waves and just thinking about waves made Sakura want to throw up all over Itachi. Then again, he deserved it. The lying bastard.

"How long have you been a traitor for?" demanded Sakura. "How long have you been looking Hokage-sama in the eye while lying to him?"

The patience… Wait, why was he being so patient with her? Like he was expecting all of this tirade and more? "I never have, nor will I ever be a traitor to my village, Sakura."

"Then explain _that_!" She nodded at the forehead protector since he was still keeping her hands captive. "And explain your cloak, too. Sasori was wearing one that's the exact same as yours."

"That is true," he replied softly, with his voice still holding that same, patient tone. "However, there are many things about this situation that you do not yet understand." Just as she was about to start yelling again, Itachi told her, "I am not a traitor to my village, however, I am not a shinobi of your Konoha."

Finally, Sakura managed to rip one of her hands free of his and the pure hot rage swelling within her allowed her to force the last of her unreserved chakra out. Her now-free hand shot up, reaching for the forehead protector, but just as her fingers grazed the metal, with the intention of ripping it off his forehead, Itachi's hand snapped up and grabbed hers tightly. It was not like his previously hold, which had been gentle. This hold was rough and it seemed as though he didn't care about hurting her.

She gasped at the bruising hold, just barely holding back her cry of pain.

_There_ was the Itachi she'd come to know over the past few days.

"I am Konoha's Uchiha Itachi," Itachi stated coldly and his grip tightened, bringing Sakura closer. This time, she _did_ yelp. "Many have tried to take that from me and they have all died trying."

Who was this guy? "You're an impersonator," was all she could think of. "Or using a henge. You're not Uchiha Itachi."

"I forgot how ignorant you could be at this age." His voice was back to being detached and much to her secret relief, the cold rage left him. "Though I suppose that is what time does to one's memory. Isn't that so, Sakura?"

Again with the talking to her like he knew her personally. What the hell was up with _that?_ It was so invasive and just plain rude. When he was dubbed as her saviour, Sakura had tolerated it to an extent, because she rarely ever saw him, but now that he was stood before her, posing as Uchiha Itachi, it was beyond aggravating and part of her even felt violated _for_ Itachi. He probably had no idea somebody was walking around and pretending to be him for kicks.

Why would somebody choose Uchiha Itachi to impersonate? There was no denying that he was a powerful shinobi and not just physically, but with his intelligence, too. He was also ridiculously attractive, meaning he was a hit with the ladies (or men, depending on which team he batted for). Of course somebody would want to be him. But what happened when they were found out? When somebody realised the great Uchiha Itachi wasn't all he cracked up to be? There had to be _some_ jutsu Itachi could use that nobody else could. Since she didn't know him well, Sakura couldn't say which ones. She also couldn't say 'activate your Sharingan', because this guy already had his activated.

Wait…

"You're definitely an Uchiha," Sakura spat, "but that doesn't make you Uchiha Itachi."

There was a long pause, where all the fake Itachi did, was stare at her in silence.

It was unnerving.

And then…

"You like to make bets."

What? Her face scrunched up into confused anger. "What the hell are you-"

"I would like to make a bet with you," said Itachi. He then released her hands and dropped his to his side, seemingly unconcerned about her strength. "Should I win the bet, you will listen to what I have to say and won't interrupt me until I am finished."

Green eyes narrowed dangerously. She'd yet to lose a bet. "And if I win?"

He was completely unfazed. "Then I will reveal my true identity."

Hell yeah. He'd more or less admitted that he was lying about who he was. Ignoring the more rational part of her mind, for she was too pissed off and _infuriated_ by the lying bastard, Sakura nodded once. "Fine."

Without a word, the fake Itachi slowly opened his cloak, popping each clip open until it was parted completely down the middle and revealing his clothes beneath. They were average and were obviously not a uniform belonging to any village _she_ knew of. If anything, they were neutral, like the guy didn't belong to any village – then again, his forehead protector had a strike going through it, signalling that he was a rogue-nin.

And then he reached for his shirt, lifting it higher and higher until a great amount of his torso was on show.

It was impossible to stop the blush that raged on her cheeks.

He smirked. "You had the same reaction the first time I showed you."

"Just get on with it," snapped Sakura.

"Do you see this?" Itachi tapped a certain mark on his chest.

She leaned closer and frowned. With a medic's eye, she could tell that it was a birthmark. It was faint yet rather noticeable if you knew where to look.

"It used to be much darker than this," he told her quietly and glanced down at the birthmark himself. "Not many know of it, other than my parents, brother, cousin and yourself." He looked back to her. "After we have rescued the Itachi you know, find an excuse to see his chest. His birthmark will be darker, for he is much younger than I am now."

Birthmarks didn't change colour – not that she was aware of, anyway. The only way they would change colour was if the person _with_ the birthmark had surgery to cover it up. It seemed like such a pointless thing for a shinobi to have, though.

"You will understand once I win the bet," stated Itachi confidently, yet coolly at the same time.

"I haven't lost a bet yet," she snapped her reply. "So be prepared to lose."

Again, he smirked.

She wondered why it looked so knowing.

* * *

Somehow, for reasons she couldn't even begin to fathom, they were travelling together.

The fake Itachi was helping her rescue the real Itachi.

Gods, her head hurt.

But that didn't matter. What mattered was tracking down Sasori and Deidara, since it would obviously lead her to the real Uchiha Itachi. Once those bastards were defeated, she would confront the both of them and demand to know what the hell was going on. Chances were, however, that the Itachi she'd been working with for their mission would have no idea about the impostor.

Well, she hoped that would be the case.

_But what if he _did_ know about him?_ The questions in her mind were impossible to ignore. It would certainly explain why Itachi hadn't sensed her so-called saviour the night he'd put her to bed – the night she lost so many patients in one day. What if he'd been pretending not to pick up on the powerful chakra? Sakura could remember being in a state of disbelief when Itachi entered the room untroubled.

_No_, she argued with herself. _It wasn't possible_.

Suspicious green eyes slid over to the black and red cloak before narrowing.

The traitor was travelling in front because at the end of the day, he was the one with the Sharingan. They had a greater advantage with him being in front. Not only that, but since he was obviously a part of the same organisation as Sasori and Deidara, he'd know where to find them – or at least where a few of their hideouts would be.

Sakura tried not to focus on the traitor for too long.

Why?

There were differences between the traitor and Itachi – and it made her even angrier than before, because she absolutely _despised_ being lied to and treated like a fool. In order to save Itachi, she had to be level headed and in control of both herself and her emotions. It would do no good to barge in there, overwhelmed by her own rage.

Until they had rescued Itachi, the traitor was unimportant.

Actually, he was like a bug to her. He was disgusting and annoying and soon enough, she was going to squash him.

They were travelling through the forest once more and Sakura could tell from the direction they were headed in, that were running towards the Land of Rice Fields.

The Land of Rice Fields was nothing spectacular. Rumour had it, it was where all the rogue-nin resided. Not only that, but she'd heard one time from her shishou that her former teammate, Orochimaru, had once tried to conquer the Land of Rice Fields and establish his own village. However, somehow, he was taken down before any of that could happen.

Nobody had heard of, or seen him, since.

It wasn't for lack of trying. Her _other_ teammate, Jiraiya (who was also Naruto's godfather and shishou), had spent many years searching for their wayward teammate after Orochimaru abandoned Konoha. The search came to an abrupt stop when Orochimaru vanished without a trace. That was all she really knew about it.

"How are your reserves?"

She gritted her teeth to hold back the automatic harsh retort. "Fine," Sakura instead snapped.

And they were. Before leaving on their hunt for Uchiha Itachi, she'd taken one of her specially created ration bars. It was made specifically for her by Tsunade, who'd then gone on to giving Sakura the recipe so she could make them herself. No, the bar wasn't perfect, but it gave her the boost she needed without actually delving into her reserves. Those reserves needed to be kept for emergencies – for her seal, to be more exact. The ration bars were not to be abused. Like soldier pills, they had side effects and you were not to live off them. In order to keep the natural balance of your body, it was advised that you shouldn't eat more than two in a day.

Once more, her eyes went back to the man in front of her.

_Traitor_, her mind repeatedly whispered. No, it was more like a hiss directed towards him and at the back of her mind, Sakura hoped he somehow picked up on her thoughts. His presence may be necessary, but it certainly wasn't welcome.

_Traitor!_

It was such a scary thought, but Sakura almost wished she had the other Itachi by her side. At least she knew where she stood with that one.

So far into their mission, they had a sort of love-hate thing going on. They couldn't stand to be in one another's presence, but they would back the other up should they need the help. The battle with Sasori was a shining example of that. As soon as he saw she was about to be impaled by Sasori's tail, Itachi stopped it. Then he stopped the katana from stabbing her. Whether it was because he was her teammate for this mission or not, he still saved her life and in Sakura's eyes, that was a debt that could never be repaid.

Life was so precious. It was something you had to unfortunately protect in order to keep it, because while it was so precious, it could all be over in an instant. There were bad people in the world who didn't believe life was something you cherished, plain and simple. Some wanted to do you harm and others wanted to do the exact opposite.

It kind of made her a hypocrite, didn't it? Sakura pondered as she followed the traitor up into the trees and increased her pace to keep up with him.

Here she was thinking about how precious life was, yet she'd taken so many lives already – and she wasn't even sixteen yet. Then again, she had come to terms a long time ago that she would be going downstairs to boil with the devil when she died. It was unavoidable in her chosen profession and at the end of the day, it was exactly that: _chosen_. Sakura had chosen to become a kunoichi, even though it meant she would eventually take a life. Granted, it hadn't really dawned on her what that meant until the day she killed for the first time. Back then 'dying' was just a word somebody said every now and then. It had never personally affected her.

Thankfully, Sakura had been with Tsunade and Shizune when that day arrived and they were there to help her, without babying her, through the rollercoaster of emotions that had swarmed her.

"We will be arriving in a matter of minutes," came the traitor's soft voice. "Now is the time to shut your mind off from wandering thoughts."

Wandering-

That-

How dare-

Gods, she just wanted to-

_Shannaro!_

Sakura took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down.

Rescuing Uchiha Itachi was the top priority right now. Not the annoying traitor-bug.

* * *

Crouching low and keeping her head down in the safety of the tall grass, she watched the supposed entrance of the hideout. It was too open and simple.

Looking like an ordinary home, it stood two stories tall and solitary in the middle of a field, surrounded by unending grass. It was plain in colour, looking like all of the other houses they'd passed and the roof was made of the same, untrustworthy material. Why they still chose to create them in such a way, Sakura would never know, because they were the biggest causes for fires when it got way too hot.

However, there was something that told her it was not an ordinary home.

"Genjutsu," murmured Sakura.

By her side, the fake Itachi nodded, though his eyes never left the building. "It is very faint and to an averagely skilled shinobi's eye, it is impossible to sense."

"It's still a pretty pathetic genjutsu." She rolled her eyes. "I bet the Sharingan can spot it a mile away."

"They have no way of knowing what to do in order to prevent that from happening," replied the traitor. "To their eyes, it is acceptable and protects them for a short amount of time. That is all they need. It is imperative that, while a member of this organisation, that you do not stay in the same place for longer than three days. Even then, that is too long."

Being a rogue-nin must be exhausting. Sakura looked over to the traitor and then up to his forehead protector, before inwardly huffing and gazing back at the house.

A traitor was a traitor, in her eyes, and nothing more. To willingly abandon your own village was an unforgivable act of somebody who was nothing but a selfish and pathetic excuse of a shinobi. They were scum.

"What's the plan?" she asked reluctantly.

He knew more about this place than she did, meaning he would have a better strategy and plan.

"What we must do, is-"

A deafening explosion cut the fake Itachi off, threatening to blow them both backwards with the force of explosion. At the last second, they used their chakra to stay hidden.

Yeah, they definitely had the right place.

Sakura prepared to shoot to her feet and find Itachi, but the traitor grabbed her wrist and kept her down, holding her in place.

"Wait."

"What? No!" she tried to argue and tugged on her arm. Not this shit again! "Uchiha-san needs my assistance – he could be hurt."

There was no reply.

Narrowing her eyes, for Sakura already knew it was a losing argument, she glanced back at the house, but was unsurprised to find it completely covered by a thick, black smoke. It was exactly what she'd been expecting, which was why she needed to physically find Itachi. What if he was trapped somewhere in the building that was no doubt reduced to rubble by now? What if he had collapsed and was inhaling too much smoke?

"Sakura." The fake Itachi once more brought her closer and for some odd reason, kept his voice lower. "You are not to mention my existence to Itachi."

"Don't tell me what to do, you-"

But the look in his eyes was cold and serious. Pleading, even. "Please, Sakura. You have my word that soon enough, all will be revealed, but for now, my existence must continue to be a secret."

She bit her lip, indecision rippling through her.

He seemed so serious…

The traitor's eyebrows knitted together faintly. "Can you do that for me, Sakura?"

He was doing it again. Talking to her like they were old friends, or like he'd known her for her entire life. It was so… familiar and… comfortable.

"…Yes."

* * *

When she found him, Sakura knew in the space of a heartbeat that something wasn't right.

It was more like Itachi found her as he staggered across the field in her direction. He was clearly trying to stand tall and hide his injuries, but they had to be serious, because not even a second after they made eye contact, Uchiha Itachi's legs gave out on him and he collapsed first onto his knees and then his front.

She was running before she even realised it.

Turning him onto his back, Sakura tried to speak to Itachi, tried to make him respond to her voice, but there was nothing. She glanced behind herself and clutched his motionless body closer to her own, narrowing her green eyes.

What the hell happened?

Now wasn't the time to ask questions, though.

Taking a deep breath and silently praying that her own injuries wouldn't hinder her, Sakura slipped Itachi's arm over her shoulder, with half his body resting heavily on her back, before she was disappearing from view, leaving nothing but leaves in her previous place. They couldn't risk being followed when they were both weakened.

* * *

It wasn't good.

There was poison in Itachi's system, along with injuries from both explosions that varied from minor to serious. The most serious was the broken ribs, due to the splinters that had threatened to puncture his heart. Another blow and they _would_ have.

That was the first thing she healed.

However, in the state she was currently in, there wasn't much Sakura was able to do. Her reserves were untouchable unless she activated her seal and Tsunade had forbade her from doing so, unless it was a serious emergency that left her with no other option.

Falling back against the cave wall, she breathed out slowly.

For the time being, they were stuck in a dank cave and would be until Itachi was healed. It was much too risky to move him as of yet. Thankfully, they were far out of anyone's way, so she'd taken the risk of lighting a fire to keep both herself and Itachi warm.

The poison had been countered with the correct antidote after Sakura had immediately recognised it as Sasori's poison. As for the burns, fever and the lacerations… The broken ribs had been her top priority – Uchiha Itachi had no idea how lucky he was to be alive right now. That splinter had been mere centimetres away from puncturing his heart. His burns… She'd done everything she could without the use of her chakra to make sure they wouldn't become infected and during that time…

Sakura had managed to see his chest.

Her eyes moved back to his shirtless form, fixating on the dark mark a good inch or so below his left nipple.

It seemed she had finally lost a bet.


	14. Sacrificial Piece

**Chapter 14**

**Sacrificial Piece**

* * *

She…

She'd lost the bet.

_How?_

And what the hell did it mean?

Tiredly, Sakura raised her hand and ran it through her hair, only to groan with annoyance when she was met with a blunt cut. It was at least half the length it used to be and she was certain that, should she look in a mirror, it wouldn't even be a straight cut. The edges were all blunt and untidy – jeez, didn't Sasori at least keep his katana sharpened?

There was nothing that could be done about it, unfortunately, so Sakura instead sighed and reached behind herself, tying it up quickly and efficiently. She'd been putting off going to the hairdressers for a while, as it had been something she and Ino had done together, but now it looked as though she had no other choice but to go.

Right now there were more important things to worry about, such as healing Uchiha Itachi.

Speaking of which… She needed to check on him now that an hour had drifted by. Where the time went, she would never know, because it seemed like mere seconds had gone by since arriving at the cave.

After shuffling forward and pressing her hand to Itachi's forehead, Sakura frowned softly.

A fever.

She'd already known that but it worried her how it didn't seem to be breaking any time soon. Moving him away from the fire would be important, as would removing all excess clothing. Sakura only risked a brief glance at the opening of the cave before setting to her tasks. It didn't matter if she had hardly any energy left, because it was important that she made sure Itachi returned to Konoha healthy.

After taking away his shinobi pants, effectively leaving Itachi in just his underwear, Sakura covered him up to his chest in a thin blanket. It wasn't perfect but it would have to do.

She neatly folded his clothing and set them beside him. Then, grabbing his pack, she searched through it for his camping scroll and was thankful to find that he had packed more than enough essentials. Included within those essentials was a single pillow, along with his own sleeping bag. The sleeping bag wouldn't be useful at the moment, Sakura decided without having to think about it. It would only cause him to grow even hotter and that was something they wanted to avoid. So, while cradling and gently lifting his head, she slid the pillow beneath him and once more lowered his head.

_It would do for now_, she told herself.

Outside was still fairly warm due to the spring weather and Sakura hoped it would stay that way throughout the night. Otherwise, she was going to have to redress Itachi to make sure he didn't get too cold, for it would do more bad than good.

Now that _that_ was out of the way…

Sakura returned to her previous position of leaning back against the wall and grimaced at the discomfort. Not that she should have been expecting any different, considering it _was_ a cave she was staying in, after all. But the jagged rocks sticking into her back weren't letting up any time soon and it was difficult trying to forget about it.

Sighing and reaching for Itachi's sleeping bag, Sakura shuffled into it and zipped it up fully, even going as far as to putting the hood over her head. It didn't completely take away the discomfort, but it was certainly more endurable now. She would have grabbed her own, but that involved moving and while so exhausted, she just couldn't be bothered.

Itachi wouldn't mind, right?

Even if he did, he would have a hard time taking it away from her in his current condition. Then again she'd have a hard time fighting to keep it, should he be able to fight for it. _What a stupid thought_, Sakura scolded herself before sighing. What other choice did she have? It was either think like a child, or have to face the painful reminder of being _wrong_. What did it mean? Surely Uchiha Itachi's birthmark wasn't _that_ big of a deal.

Then again…

There were reasons why some shinobi chose to wear masks, or why others felt the need to cover themselves from head to toe. Distinguishing marks, such as scars or acne or moles or birthmarks, made it easier to spot someone. Her most distinguishing features happened to be her seal and her hair (wasn't exactly hard to figure out) and since one was permanent and Sakura refused to dye the other, it would forever be that way. Maybe Itachi was worried that, should someone find out about his birthmark, they would be able to identify him that way.

So silly. Why would he have his shirt off to start with?

Still, it wasn't her place to judge. If it was something that worried Itachi, then it worried him. It also explained why the other Itachi had his partially covered, so that–

Wait.

_"It used to be much darker than this," he told her quietly and glanced down at the birthmark himself. "Not many know of it, other than my parents, brother, cousin and yourself." He looked back to her. "After we have rescued the Itachi you know, find an excuse to see his chest. His birthmark will be darker, for he is much younger than I am now."_

When he'd told her about herself knowing of his birthmark, Sakura had assumed it was because he'd been showing it to her at the time. But… What if that wasn't the case?

Her eyes slid over to the feverish, unconscious Uchiha Itachi.

Time travel was impossible…

Right?

A bubble of hysterical laughter escaped her before Sakura could even stop it. Of course time travel was impossible. Why in the world would she even consider such a stupid thing? Talk about taking something straight out of a kid's book.

But at that moment in time, in her exhausted state, it seemed so plausible. The things the strange traitor guy said and the way he said them… The way he turned up _right_ on time. The way he spoke to her like he _knew_ her, even though he hadn't held a real conversation with her _ever_.

"Ridiculous," muttered Sakura.

Her hysterical mood left her instantly, leaving her to feel annoyed.

Time travel? Really? That was the best her exhausted, yet still overly imaginative mind could come up with? How pathetic. If she was getting ridiculous, then surely there should be more romance, blood and horror in there? Maybe a massacre or two, a little bit of psychological torture and then some kind of heartbreaking, unconditional love and romance that would leave everyone involved suffering terribly.

Tch.

What was she thinking? That sort of thing just didn't happen unless it was in a novel. It wasn't real life – it was a messed up fantasy.

"…Haruno-san," came a raspy voice.

The second Sakura heard Itachi's voice, she was lunging forward and appearing by his side, almost getting caught up in the sleeping bag as she tried to escape from it.

He was barely even awake, but still fighting stubbornly against the unconsciousness. Dark eyes drifted between open and shut, with his long lashes fluttering against his flushed cheeks. Without hesitation, her hand rested on his forehead, before she released a sigh of relief. Slowly, yet surely, he was coming down from his fever. Sakura shushed him softly, allowing her medic-side to take over despite her internal battle. Itachi's health was top priority and came above everything else. That fake Itachi… He wasn't important. None of the mess that came with him was important.

Uchiha Itachi was important.

"You're okay," she told him gently. "There might be a bit of pain, but you're going to be okay. I promise."

Weakly, he nodded once. It was impossible to think of anything Itachi did as weak, but at that moment in time, he was nothing but. It… It broke her heart seeing somebody so strong in such a vulnerable position, but that was what made Sakura so determined to be the best possible medic she could be. Those people who were sick, injured or dying, were vulnerable and needed somebody to be strong for them.

She would be strong for him.

"You'll need some water," Sakura murmured and reached for her backpack, taking mere seconds to grab her own water canteen.

She gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders and sat him up. In a way to make it easier, Sakura slipped one of her thighs behind his back, allowing Itachi to lean against it. Being a medic – no, being a shinobi meant there was no room for privacy or personal space. Had this not been a mission, sure, Sakura would have thought the position was way too intimate for two people who were not romantically involved, but that was just the point: this _was_ a mission and thankfully, Itachi understood that and didn't think anything more of it.

Instead of arguing or resisting, he allowed Sakura to help him drink the water. He knew not to take more than sips to begin with just in case he upset his stomach, so there was no need for her to tell him.

The second water began to dribble down the side of his mouth and chin, she pulled the canteen away and wiped his face clean of the water.

"What happened?" His voice was still raspy. "You were… not alone."

What?

"I saw the cloak," Itachi informed her, "but you weren't fighting."

Which was probably why he'd been so determined on getting over to her, instead of collapsing on the spot. What was she supposed to say? She'd sworn to keeping the other guy's existence a secret.

"Oh…" She frowned. "I'm not sure what that was about. I confronted him, but the explosion spooked him, I guess."

His heavy eyes sharpened minutely when Itachi squinted. "You're in pain."

It was instinctively how her hand came up to her head, brushing against her wound. Obviously, it still hurt and since she'd been more concerned about healing him, Sakura hadn't had the chance to heal herself or see to her own injuries.

"This?" Sakura gave him a smile and lowered her hand. "It's nothing serious. I just–"

"You're bleeding," he argued.

It was clear that Itachi was becoming more alert as his dark eyes grew more focused and he strained to sit up by himself. It took a few minutes but eventually, he managed to sit up without her help, so Sakura pulled her legs back to herself and folded them beneath her.

"Take care of yourself, Haruno-san," murmured Itachi.

Haruno-san.

That was something Sakura still couldn't get her head around. If they were both Uchiha Itachi, then why did they call her by different names? It sounded so strange being called 'Haruno-san' now that all the possibilities were stuck in her head.

"Sakura." A pause. She smiled at him. "Call me Sakura."

There were no questions or demands. Itachi either didn't want to find out what made her say such a thing, or didn't care. She was guessing it was the latter. Instead, he accepted her words with a single nod, before repeating his order of her taking care of her own health rather than his.

"My chakra is too low," Sakura admitted reluctantly. "That's why you're not fully healed." Noticing how his eyes drifted to her forehead, she added, "That jutsu is for emergencies only. I can only use it if I'm fatally wounded, or if there are way too many for me to heal alone."

He watched her for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. "You used your reserves in Dāto."

It wasn't a question. "Not a lot, but yeah, I did use some of my reserves."

Her reserves and her available chakra were two separate things. Tsunade had told her to think of it as two pools – the smallest was and would always be her available chakra. It couldn't be changed because it was what she was born with. Her reserves… They could be any size they wanted to be. Kind of like Naruto's, in a way (minus the Kyuubi, of course). Naruto had his own chakra and then he had the Kyuubi's. They were two different sources of power and he was only to use the Kyuubi's if it was absolutely necessary and he had no other option.

"How long will it take to fully replenish it?"

Her reserves? "When I first began storing chakra away, it took _years_ to reach full capacity. Now, however, it's so much easier. It all depends on how much chakra I use and how much I store away, really." Oh shit, she was rambling, wasn't she? "A couple of weeks, minimum."

Once again, Itachi nodded once. "Our targets have been defeated," he told her a couple of minutes later. "Unless we are targeted while travelling back to Konoha, then there will no more fighting."

Was it just her or did he seem almost… relieved?

If he did, it was probably only because of how injured they both were.

"I'm glad," she whispered honestly and looked up to the ceiling of the cave.

There was no reply.

* * *

They'd been stuck in the cave for several days.

During their stay, Itachi had summoned one of his crows and sent it to Konoha, showing Minato without actually carrying a message that they were alive. It wasn't safe to send out any scrolls, just in case somebody intercepted the crow. By doing it Itachi's way, it was a simple crow landing outside of the Hokage Tower for a short while. Nothing suspicious.

They took those days to rest up and heal naturally while her chakra replenished itself. By then, they were ready to travel home and took short rests every few hours. That way they weren't pushing themselves too hard – it was at her insistence and much to her gratefulness, Itachi didn't argue with her.

Part of her wondered on their journey back to Konoha whether or not he knew about her predicament. She wondered if he knew about the other Itachi and her suspicions of him. Why? Because or how submissive he was suddenly being in regards to her ordering him around. He accepted her requests and orders easily. Well, only if it was about his health and her own. Anything else and he had full say and only _considered_ her suggestions.

It was a tiring ordeal reporting to Minato when they finally returned. While standing there silently, as Itachi filled him in on everything that happened, Sakura had to hold back her need to just crawl straight into her bed and stay there for the next few days.

After he'd been taken to their hideout, Itachi had bided his time. Apparently it took a single hour to take both Sasori and Deidara down. For the latter, he used his genjutsu. For the former, he pieced together all the information they'd gained during their short fight and used it against him. Sasori was the first to be defeated, which was why Deidara blew the place up before being killed.

The first time she heard his story, Sakura could only stare in a mixture of awe and shock.

He really was a prodigy.

With a sigh of relief, Sakura fell back into her bed and shut her eyes, revelling in the relaxation and peace that washed over her. She was back in Konoha, in her own home and laying in her own bed. Safe, warm and content.

Until a flare of chakra coming from the roof had her eyes snapping open.

Sure, this was a conversation that _needed_ to happen, but still…

Why now?

Reluctantly, she climbed out of her bed and groaned tiredly. So much for sleeping for days.

Deciding it would take way too much energy to get dressed, Sakura grabbed her robe and wrapped it around herself, making sure she was completely covered. Even though she refused to get dressed, it didn't mean she wouldn't be covered appropriately.

She made her way over to the window and slid it open. It was easy climbing out and up onto the roof, seeing as it was more of a terrace than an actual roof. All the residents of her building chipped in to help boost its appearance, aiding it to look more bright and beautiful. Had Ino still been alive, Sakura liked to think that she would've lived in a different apartment complex, and that they would have made a competition of their terraces.

They always secretly enjoyed their competitions.

The roof was breath-taking at night. Small lanterns lit the area up dimly, allowing her to witness the beauty of the plants, while still allowing her to watch the stars light up the night sky. It was the best of both worlds, really.

He was waiting for her, of course. Seated on the wooden bench that looked out at the village, giving a wide view of all the buildings, including the clan districts.

"You won," Sakura offered weakly. Awkwardly, she stood behind him and bit her lip for a moment. "So… Are you going to tell me…?"

"How any of this is possible?"

"Yeah."

Not once did Itachi look over his shoulder at her. He remained sitting there and when Sakura walked around the bench so that she was in front of him, she saw that he was gazing out at the village. There was a wistful expression on his features and like every other time she'd seen him, his Sharingan was activated. Was it ever deactivated? Surely that had negative effects on his health and chakra?

There was a sigh.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he ordered quietly.

When there was no reply, his eyes slid over to hers and Sakura found herself repeating his sigh. Her exhaustion won over her stubbornness and she sat beside him on the bench. The weather was chilly but bearable.

It was ridiculous, she knew it was, but… "Time travel."

There, it was out there. The worst he could do was laugh at her.

But there was no laughter.

The other Itachi went back to gazing out at the village. "You have always been an intelligent woman."

Annoyance flashed within her, though she did her best to hide it.

"However," he murmured softly, "there is more to it than simple time travelling. You see, even if it is the smallest of changes, a single change _will_ create an alternative universe."

Which meant… "Your existence in our world created a different universe."

Itachi nodded once. "Precisely."

How she could sit there and calmly discuss such things, Sakura would never know. On the inside, she was numb. It didn't feel very real at that moment in time. They were discussing time travelling and alternative universes, for goodness sake. How would that _ever_ be normal? In theory, sure it would be okay to discuss it, but they were being serious. They were talking about Itachi travelling to a different universe.

"Why?" she questioned. "Why would you do it?"

"My own universe…" His eyes met hers. "They're all dead."

Her heart dropped. "Everyone… They're…"

"Yes."

But… "Even Sasuke-kun? Your clan?"

His silence screamed his answer.

It was so much to take in. What the hell could have happened to kill everybody he knew? A meteor? Did something happen to the village to cause such a massacre? Was it an epidemic? Why did it happen? Suddenly, despite being outside, Sakura felt like she was suffocating. It felt like the sky was crashing down on her – no, that was too quick. She felt more like she was trapped in a small room and slowly, so very painfully slowly, it was getting smaller and smaller. It was crushing her to death, never letting up for a single second and she _couldn't breathe!_

"And our…" Sakura changed her sentence, unable to find the words to finish it. "The thing between us…"

"There is no 'us', Sakura." There was a shift in his voice, a hardness entering his features. Her choice of words displeased him. "You are not my Sakura."

But there _was_ something between him and the other version of herself.

_Impossible!_

She was torn about what to believe.

So far, a lot of what he had to say had evidence to back it all up. Well, there wasn't a lot that he'd said or done in particular, but that was beside the point. Recently, everything the other Itachi had said to her, had had some kind of meaning in one way or another.

Still…

She wanted more evidence.

If he was involved with her other self (and from the strange things he'd been saying a few days ago, it was looking highly likely) then obviously, Itachi would know her well. Apparently he had known her at the age she was at now – fifteen – and even younger than that. How long had they been together for? He'd said something about memories being forgotten over time. How old was she when…?

A quick, simple and harmless test would prove to her whether or not they'd been involved.

Sakura moved swiftly, ignoring her exhaustion as she slipped a thigh over his lap and grabbed a hold of his shoulders, holding herself to him in case of a negative reaction.

There was no reaction at all other than those red and black eyes once more locking onto hers languidly.

"Itachi," Sakura whispered in a soft tone.

Her hand slipped from his shoulder to the back of his neck, about to cradle his head, when his own reached up with unseeable speed and stopped it.

"Don't."

"Why?"

His eyes were fogged with some kind of emotion that Sakura had no hopes in figuring out. "I have never been able to resist you."

Just as she raised her other hand to run it through his hair, Itachi caught that one, too and stopped the movement. "Itachi–"

"You are not my Sakura," he repeated his earlier words more forcefully.

Her stomach dropped.

That look…

It was the look…

It was the look she'd always dreamed of receiving from someone. It was a look of pure devotion, of fierce loyalty and unconditional love.

Just as easily as she slid onto his lap, she removed herself. It didn't take much to pull her hands free of his. Itachi seemed almost grateful for the space.

"So… Things were sexual." Sakura looked away uncomfortably. "Between you and the other Sakura, I mean."

There was silence for just a second before Itachi went back to looking out at the village. "No. It was never like that between us."

"Then what was it like?" she couldn't help but ask curiously.

"I have never been one for discussing such emotional subjects, Sakura," he informed her softly. "The words have never come to me as efficiently as they do others."

A nervous flutter took over in her stomach and heart at just the thought that flashed through her mind.

Could she really trust him?

Slowly, her eyes slipped back to his features, regarding him silently. There was nothing to be seen. At the same time, though, this Itachi didn't seem to be half as cryptic and cold as the other. There was a softness to him. A peacefulness. Or… Was it acceptance? Acceptance of what, though?

"You have the Sharingan." All he did was look at her like she was stating the obvious – which she was, since his Sharingan was currently activated. "You also have the next stage of the Sharingan," she then added quietly. "The one that is rare to possess. The Mangekyō."

There was no surprise at her words. There was no questioning how she knew about it. All he did was nod once before his Sharingan swirled into a different design, causing Sakura to breathe in shakily. It probably seemed ridiculous, but it was like she could _sense_ the power in those eyes. Something (more than likely her gut instinct) was telling her to run. It was telling her to run and hide and to _never look into those eyes!_

She took another deep breath and ignored her gut instinct.

"Show me everything."

He didn't even hesitate.

They were like flashing images of his past.

The second their eyes met, Sakura was sucked away from reality and thrown head first into his memories.

In the beginning all she could make out was that he was confused. Uchiha Itachi was a lost little boy who'd seen way too much. He had seen horrors that weren't meant for the darkest of men, let alone a four-year-old boy. At four years old, he'd taken a life, not completely understanding what it meant to do such a thing. He was torn between life and death, unable to figure out what either of them truly meant.

His suicide attempt broke her heart.

No child should ever feel as though they couldn't escape the painful reality of the world. They were supposed to be carefree and innocent. They were supposed to have the whole world to look forward to, with brand new lives and so much for their new eyes to see.

Unknowingly, on the outside world, she clutched his hand.

Sakura's aching heart melted at the sight of a baby version of Sasuke and how much the new life meant to Itachi. It gave him hope. It wasn't something a child should need, but in Itachi's case, it was. He doted on his baby brother. Not a day went by where Itachi wasn't holding him close and telling him everything was going to be all right. Whenever Sasuke cried, whenever he needed attention, his big brother was there and taking care of him.

_Baby Sasuke was adorable!_

It didn't stay happy for long.

Itachi graduated early and became a part of a team – making friends with them and forming bonds he considered as dear to him. His Sharingan was awakened the day he lost a close comrade, the day he lost his friend. Sasuke was, surprisingly, the one who comforted Itachi. Well, it was more like Itachi sought comfort from him, holding him close to his chest as he shed silent tears. It brought him great comfort having his brother there.

The memories blurred after that, briefly showing Sakura his life as a genin, as a chunin and then, as he was placed into ANBU. Then, he was an ANBU captain.

The deaths kept coming, piling up in his mind until all Itachi could see was the dead.

Relations between his clan and the village were rapidly declining and much to her horror, there were talks of a coup.

There was one thing in particular that stood out to her, though.

Like there had been with their timeline, the Kyuubi was released. However, _unlike_ in their timeline, Namikaze Minato and his wife had not been so fortunate as to have someone appear by their side, ready and waiting to perform the seal that saved everybody's lives.

Uzumaki Naruto grew up as an orphan who was despised by the entire village, with no one to love him or care for him.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

It was understandable that Itachi hadn't paid much attention to the blond – why would he? Naruto was nothing to him other than a name and, after his parents' deaths, the host of the Kyuubi. He had more important things to worry about, such as the hatred that was reaching boiling point between his clan and the village higher ups. The only ones who were bordering on desperate to stop things from escalating further, were Uchiha Itachi and Shisui.

But…

"Oh… _Gods_," she breathed in sheer disbelief.

She'd heard rumours of such a man, but actually _seeing_ him and the devastation he was capable of…

Right before his very eyes, Itachi watched his best friend take his own life in order to stop a trusted higher up of the village stealing the secrets from his body. Already, he'd taken one of Shisui's eyes, planning on (and actually succeeding) using their terrifying power for all the wrong reasons.

But from there, things only got worse.

She watched through Itachi's eyes as he slaughtered his entire clan, as he psychologically tortured his baby brother, the brother he'd sworn to always be there for and protect. The baby brother he'd held in his arms every single time he cried, telling him everything was going to be okay. He _tortured_ him for the sake of pushing Sasuke to grow stronger. The entire time, though… It would never excuse what he'd done, but Itachi continued to protect and watch over his brother. He watched him growing up, keeping the promise he made to his parents right before he killed them.

He wasn't alone during the massacre. There was help from a masked man, but in return, Itachi was to join an organisation. It was the same one as before, Sakura realised as she immediately recognised Sasori.

_Akatsuki._

They… They murdered so many innocent people and even though she still feared him, Sakura felt her heart breaking all over again as she watched the suffering of Sabaku no Gaara. He suffered in pure agony until his body dropped lifelessly to the ground. That was around the time he met her, she realised. They were enemies. It was so strange seeing the hatred in her own eyes as they faced each other. At that time, Itachi didn't think much of her. She was just a part of the team Sasuke had once been a part of.

Wait…

What? Sasuke had left the village? For power? He went searching for power from a man like Orochimaru?

_Was this the darkness she'd only seen glimpses of? The darkness within Sasuke?_

He kept track of Sasuke. He kept track of Konoha. From within the shadows, he protected them all.

It didn't ease the pain any.

It didn't stop the unbearable agony that rippled through her as she watched jinchūriki after jinchūriki being murdered. It didn't stop her breathing from turning shaky as the Akatsuki turned their attention on Naruto.

That was where it stopped, though.

There was a battle. A fierce, inevitable battle between Itachi and Sasuke. A battle that ended in Itachi's death. It wasn't the battle that killed him, however. No, it went deeper than that. Deep within his chest, to be more exact. An illness that could never be fully identified. It left him vulnerable, to the point where even a common cold could have killed him. But Itachi fought on, prolonging his life with the use of a combination of medications. They weren't the right ones to save his life, but then again, Itachi didn't want to be saved. He _wanted_ to die.

However, it had to be Sasuke who ended things.

He was the one who needed to rebuild their clan, to restore their clan back to their former glory.

But what happened after that?

Sakura's green eyes fluttered for a few moments, adjusting to the abrupt end of flashbacks and memories.

"That's it?" She frowned in confusion and looked back to him. "You just suddenly ended up here?"

Itachi sighed and shut his eyes. There was a faint twitching of his brow, along with his hand, like he ached to reach to his temples and rub them.

Her own hand twitched, wanting to ease his pain.

"I didn't show you the memories between me and your other self," he told her after a moment or two. "Already, many things have changed in this timeline. I have done everything in my power to keep history from repeating itself."

That was unfair. So, what? Itachi could change major events in history but he couldn't even show her a past that meant nothing to her?

"A relationship is something that must develop by itself, Sakura. It cannot be forced and it cannot be tampered with. If a relationship between you and this timeline's Itachi happens, then great. But you cannot expect it to be the same as my own relationship."

Still unfair, Sakura thought sulkily.

"I was brought back," Itachi went on to tell her, answering her previous question. "My body and my power was used in a war against my will. The Fourth Great Shinobi War, but instead of it being the nations killing each other, they were all banded together. An alliance. The enemy attempted to use my power against them, but…" There was a pause, one where he gave a small, wistful smile. "Shisui's parting gift came into good use – he was always one for mischief when the circumstances weren't so dire."

Sakura couldn't help but smile softly at the look in Itachi's eyes. He was lost in his memories, going back to a time that wasn't filled with so much anguish.

Too soon, he left them where they belonged: in the past. "I managed to take control of my body once more and with Sasuke's help, we defeated the one who was controlling the dead with the reanimation jutsu. After that…" He paused, sighing. "The control vanished when I thought I was returning to the land of the dead and I watched everything happening without being able to help anyone. Everyone died in that war," Itachi told her and his eyes hardened. "I watched everyone die before waking up in this world, realising I had a second chance to make things right."

The pain was back, Sakura realised as his brow began twitching again and without thinking, her hand raised up, glowing green after a moment. He allowed her to ease the pain, but the moment the glow faded and her hand cupped his cheek tenderly, Itachi's hand once again caught it.

"You are not my Sakura," he told her calmly, patiently. After a few seconds, Itachi closed his eyes, a deep breath leaving him. "You may look like her, but you're not her. This version of yourself… belongs to this timeline's version of myself."

Anger rippled through her and Sakura yanked her hand back to herself. "I belong to _no one_."

Itachi couldn't help but give a small smirk. "I know. You told me that often."

Sakura frowned and looked away uncomfortably. "I… I died. In your timeline, I mean."

It took a moment, but Itachi eventually nodded. "I couldn't save you." The look in his usually impassive eyes as he turned to her, would always haunt Sakura. "And I never got the chance to tell you that I returned your feelings. I never had the chance to thank you for all you've ever done for me."

"You never had to," she told him in return, eyebrows knitting together. "You may like to think that you're emotionless, Itachi, but you're not. I'll admit that I can't read you – I'm still getting to know the Itachi in this timeline, but… If what you and the other Sakura had was real, then…"

When Sakura trailed off, Itachi smiled tiredly, recalling the words that had been said by his own Sakura. "I know."

"So… How do I die?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"The reason I die? Like, is it for something I believe in? Protecting my loved ones?"

Silence.

"How old will I be?"

"You are not going to die, Sakura," he stated with that same, detached voice. However, the look in his eyes was anything but detached. "I have already lost one version of you. That will not happen again."

She shook her head with annoyance and confusion. "I don't get it! Why bother coming to save me when you still won't be able to be with me? It's not going to change anything for you."

There was no reply. Itachi simply stared off into the distance, watching the Uchiha District.

And then finally, his quiet voice reached her as the other Itachi left the district, "You are his light and although he may never admit it, he needs you to light up the darkness that his world has once more become."

* * *

The conversation was more difficult than he'd thought it would be.

Discussing their deaths… It brought it all back. For the longest time, he kept himself preoccupied. He kept himself busy with changing history. But now…

He'd always known that _his_ Sakura secretly feared dying alone on a mission and it agonised Itachi that her worst fear had come true one day, not too long before the war.

He had been passing through Fire Country for one reason or another when Itachi picked up on her fading chakra. For once, instinct had taken over and he'd moved as fast as he possibly could to get to her in time, even though he knew deep down that he wouldn't be able to save her. She couldn't die alone. She couldn't.

That day still haunted him.

When he arrived, Itachi had found his Sakura face down in the dirt, her body littered with so many wounds that it had had his stomach in knots for days and his heart, even now, clenched at the thought of her being in pain. He hadn't been able to save her. Like she had always feared, Sakura had died alone, out in the middle of a forest where nobody would have found her body unless they were only hours behind her.

Personally, he returned her body to Konoha, even though it meant his capture should he be caught. Itachi despised the thought of leaving her out there, or of cremating her body. That hadn't been what his Sakura wanted. She wanted a natural burial, in the walls of her home village, where her loved ones could mourn properly and not agonise over her disappearance.

When he'd turned up in the Hokage's office with her body in his arms, it was safe to say that Tsunade had immediately jumped to conclusions, believing that he was the one to murder her precious apprentice. And in an effort to keep Sakura from being labelled as a traitor for her connection to him, Itachi had told her that he brought her body back for Sasuke's sake, should he ever return to the village.

She was a magnificent kunoichi, there was no denying that. Sakura had made people fear her with just a single tick of the brow. It still pained him that she was never able to surpass her potential, was never able to complete her training and become the fierce, talented kunoichi she'd always dreamed of being. According to his Sakura, the way she had been before her death, hadn't been enough for her. Before her death, in their own timeline, Sakura had not activated her seal, so hadn't been able to heal herself. Oh, she'd mastered Tsunade's enhanced strength by that time, but not the seal.

That was why he had pushed _this_ timeline's Sakura so hard. It was why he forced her to experience heartbreak even though it _burned_ him on the inside to do it. The death of Yamanaka Ino, her best friend, pushed Sakura into becoming stronger, more capable and more reliable, not just for herself, but also for Yamanaka. She worked hard for the both of them and in the end, it paid off.

His Sakura had been sixteen years of age when she died and had not mastered her seal, hadn't even activated it.

This Sakura was just barely fifteen years old and had done that and more.

Due to her untimely death, many shinobi died during the war. They had needed her skills, her abilities, to save them and keep them going. The second Uzumaki Naruto died the war was over and Madara had won. And that was where everything ended for himself, also. That was where his hazy memory cut off before he awoke in this strange world. Seeing all of his precious people, _alive_ and well, had… It was dangerous hope. It had almost made Itachi believe that somehow, he'd made it. His sins were overlooked and ignored and he'd been granted entry to be with his family once more.

But then he saw his other self. Back then, he was nothing but a child who was lost and stumbling through questions no child should even be considering, let alone asking.

As for the others…

The other version of himself and a lot of others were not nearly as strong as they had been in his own timeline. Perhaps that was a good thing, though? The only person (and he'd made sure of this) who had the Mangekyō Sharingan was Shisui, someone he _knew_ would not use its power for bad.

The dots in his mind began piecing together whatever he was missing. Itachi was still unsure as to what happened, how it happened and why and the questions never let up in his mind. However, he was grateful for the second chance. Even if it was not himself living the life he'd always wanted or experiencing happiness, he was okay with it.

Unfortunately, events such as the Kyuubi attack were inevitable. No, it was not the masked man who released the Kyuubi. It had been himself. Too soon after changing Obito's fate had Itachi realised what it would mean for Uzumaki Naruto's. Due to having the Kyuubi sealed within him immediately after his birth, a major defect was never discovered since the Kyuubi healed him of it. However, only a mere day after this timeline's Naruto was born, he began having seizures. He was unable to move his own body or breathe properly. His parents, Minato and Kushina, had been bordering on desperate in their searches to help their child, but there was no cure. Not even Tsunade had been able to save him and had given him mere hours to live.

In a moment of weakness (for he knew how much of a major part of Sasuke's life he would play), Itachi had used his Mangekyō to release the Kyuubi from the still-recovering Kushina. Minato hadn't needed any help with the rest and to make sure his existence remained a secret, he stayed in the shadows and erased Kushina's memory of him, watching to make sure they both survived.

They did, with half of the Kyuubi sealed into them both.

That was something that was unavoidable, much to his dismay. Whenever a change was made, there would be ripple effects. Oh, there had been so many that he'd had to take care of, since he'd changed so much. There was no way of knowing what would happen should he change history, or how it would affect the balance of the universe. Either way, Uzumaki Naruto _had_ to become the host of the Kyuubi. Yamanaka Ino _had_ to die in order for Sakura to reach her potential and go higher than that.

Also…

There was only one way he could leave this timeline.

And Itachi accepted it. He accepted what he had to do.


	15. What I Did For Love

**Chapter 15**

**What I Did For Love**

* * *

"You ready, Sasuke?"

The activating of his Sharingan was his only reply.

The pair clashed over and over again, making the ground beneath them crumble each time their more powerful blows connected. At some point, Sasuke unsheathed his katana, waving it with a dangerous, deadly aim that never missed its target. Luckily for his opponent and rival, he'd always been known as the number one unpredictable shinobi, so always had an ace up his sleeve to get him out of trouble.

Still…

Sakura clutched a hold of the trunk she was standing beside, biting her lip worriedly as she watched her two teammates sparring. The tree was giving way to her grip but she paid it no mind.

Watching Naruto and Sasuke during one of their spars always reduced her to this: a complete and utter nervous wreck. She worried endlessly over their safety and health, absolutely terrified that one of their deadlier blows was actually going to meet its target.

It had been two weeks since her mission with Uchiha Itachi.

It had also been two weeks since her talk with the _other_ Uchiha Itachi.

The pair of them had yet to make a reappearance.

After the talk, it had taken Sakura a while to fully think over everything that had been said. It took her even longer to get her head around the fact that multiverse theory wasn't actually a theory. It was real. The other Itachi was living proof of that, unless Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto were hiding a third, older child who looked more or less exactly like Itachi.

Travelling through time… Maybe she could have–

No, she couldn't even get her head around that, either. How was any of it possible? And who was the one to send the other Itachi to their universe? What was their purpose for doing something like that? To torture the poor guy? Just one look at his past would tell you that he…

He needed to redeem himself.

Was that what this was? A chance at redemption? A second chance to right everything he did wrong?

His past was a dark one and it still haunted her even two weeks after seeing it for herself. The thought of anybody going through such a painful experience, or of having to make such horrific decisions broke her heart. She wouldn't even wish that sort of burden on her worst enemy.

That village was inhumane. It was despicable. And Sakura couldn't even blame the other Itachi's younger brother for turning on Konoha. What they did was unforgivable and no matter what the elders said or how many times they tried to explain themselves, their rash actions would never be justified. She couldn't even begin to explain how grateful she felt for the changes that had been made. Growing up in such a place… It would be soul destroying. Knowing that she would be working for such sinister people… Having them _giving_ her the names of the people who needed to be taken out… How would Sakura know which ones were genuine threats to their village, and which ones were simply people who knew too much and needed to be silenced? There would be no trust.

To force somebody to annihilate their entire clan, to _murder their family and loved ones…!_

It made her physically sick.

"Haruno-san."

Her eyes snapped to the side, widening a fraction when none other than Uchiha Itachi came to a stop beside her. It was strange looking at him while knowing what she did. "Uchiha-san," she said in shock, "what brings you out here?"

Dark eyes moved to the training grounds, keeping up with the movements being made with ease. "I could ask the same thing." Those eyes drifted to hers and he raised an eyebrow. "Why are you not training with your team?"

Ha! Like she'd be able to keep up with _those_ two when they got frustrated with one another. "It's not training," huffed Sakura with clear annoyance. "They're pissed off with each other, which is why I'm watching over them. If it was just normal training, I'd leave them to it or would be out there with them." Shrugging, she added, "It's best to stay out of their way when they're like this. All they see is anger and each other."

Without fail, somebody always got hurt and, without fail, it was always the person who tried to intervene. You would have to be a moron to step between those two nowadays, also, because of their leaps in strength and power.

"I see," Itachi murmured. He looked back to the pair. "It is important that you keep up with your own training, however."

Yes, she knew that. It was why she and Tsunade trained together. They were more suited to each other's strength and could heal themselves without blinking an eye, should either of them land a blow on the other. Naruto… Okay, he had the Kyuubi to heal him and absorb most of the damage, but Sasuke, on the other hand, did not. If he took one of her punches, he would die. There were no ifs or maybes about it.

When there was no reply, Itachi glanced down at her. "How are your reserves?"

Sakura blinked in surprise and turned her full attention to the Uchiha. Her stomach was doing a nervous flip every few seconds as she considered his intentions. "Full."

He nodded once. "Then will you spar with me, Haruno-san?"

* * *

She tried to ignore the startled expressions of her teammates as she followed Itachi onto the training ground. It was large enough for them all to spar on and, much to her delight, her appearance with the older Uchiha managed to knock some of the angst out of her boys. They were too curious as to finding out what was happening to be angry with one another. Maybe she wouldn't have to heal them after all?

"Here will do," Itachi informed her and came to a stop. Turning to face her, he stood tall and proud, raising a single hand.

Sakura could have sworn that she heard both Sasuke and Naruto choke on thin air when he made the sign of confrontation.

Their choking only increased when she returned it.

Don't get her wrong, she was nervous. Maybe even a little bit scared, too. At the same time, however, she was excited. This was new and exciting, because never before had Sakura ever faced somebody who was at Uchiha Itachi's level – he'd beaten both Deidara _and_ Sasori without any help. Granted, she had roughed Sasori up quite a bit beforehand, but _still_.

"What the fu-"

Before Naruto had the chance to finish his sentence, both she and Itachi charged towards each other and Sakura was pleasantly surprised to see that his Sharingan was activated. It aided him in dodging the punch that should have landed on his right cheek.

He was taking her seriously.

He knew not to underestimate her.

A foot flew out at her all of a sudden and she just narrowly avoided being kicked in the gut as Sakura leapt backwards to put some space between herself and Itachi. Of course, she'd already known he was fast, but to switch his positioning _that quickly and so flawlessly…_

Amazing.

Every blow she made, he returned. Every shuriken she threw, he responded by throwing the same amount back at her. Every attack was countered perfectly. It got to the stage where Sakura began adding more chakra to her punches, where she became more determined to prove her strength to him. She didn't want to make Itachi regret requesting to spar with her.

At the end of the day, he was her superior.

And maybe…

He was somebody she admired, too.

And like he was trying to prove that she _should_ admire him, the next punch Sakura pulled, Itachi managed to catch it somewhat. He grabbed a tight hold of her wrist, bringing her entire body to a stop. Had that been anyone else (other than Tsunade and the _other_ Itachi that one time), her fist wouldn't have been stopped. Clearly he'd been using chakra, enhancing his strength just like she and Tsunade did.

However, she and Tsunade didn't have to use a lot of chakra to enhance their strength like others had to. They were freakishly strong from so much training.

Her other fist came flying forward and this time the Uchiha just barely managed to stop her. It only aided her in her next attack, though. Throwing herself backwards, Sakura yanked Itachi along with her and then flipped them over so that she was pinning him down. Winded by the force of being thrown to the ground, Itachi stared up at her silently for a moment.

And then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Damn it!

Of course he would do that. It was one of the best ways to find out your opponent's fighting style before actually battling them yourself. Or (and this was more common) it was a way to keep your hands clean. It was something her former sensei, Hatake Kakashi, did all the time. It gave him an edge in his battles.

But…

The sensation of a cool blade brushing against her throat had her eyes widening.

"You fought well, Haruno-san, however, this spar is now over."

The shock disappeared and she smirked.

"So you think, Uchiha-san." Tilting her head to the side daringly, she then added, "And I thought I told you to call me 'Sakura' from now on?"

Just as the words left her lips, the ground beneath Itachi disappeared and the Sakura who had been kneeling before him popped out of existence, leaving nothing more than smoke in her place.

She came out from the ground behind him, placing her hands on her hips with a proud smirk.

It seemed she'd found a blind spot in his Sharingan.

"One of Hatake Kakashi's moves," Itachi commented.

Only being able to see his head was rather amusing, Sakura decided. His entire body, right up to his neck, was buried deeply into the ground, where her real body had been hiding.

"When did you create a clone?" he asked.

Crouching beside him, she smiled. "Right before you activated your Sharingan." Sakura then rolled her eyes. "Give me _some_ credit, Uchiha-san. I've been sparring against two Sharingan wielders for years now. Of course I'm going to know a thing or two."

"I wasn't aware of the fact you could use the elements."

She refrained from rolling her eyes again. That was so typical of an Uchiha. They always presumed they knew best, or they knew everything. Just because she wasn't using some dramatic jutsu during every single battle did not mean she didn't know any, or that she couldn't use any of the elements. It was called using your chakra wisely.

Two fingers raised in front of his eyes. "I can use two of them." Well, four if you included the yin and yang release, but for some reason, not a lot of people included it (annoying, if you asked her). Lowering her hand, Sakura raised an eyebrow. "You have the same blind spot as your brother, by the way," she commented lightly. "Perhaps you can both work on that together."

A little pushing every now and then wouldn't be so bad, would it? They seriously needed to sort the bad blood out between them. After seeing the other Itachi's memories… Sakura held back a shudder. She didn't want that to ever happen to _this_ Itachi and Sasuke. She didn't want Sasuke to hate his older brother. It had torn them both apart.

"Thank you for the advice." He nodded once. "You're more open and vulnerable on your right side."

She smiled once more and after a moment of silently debating it, helped Itachi out of the ground.

"You know, I'm actually quite proud of myself for pulling that one off. It was a bit touch and go for a while since you're so fast and I had to try and keep up."

"It is as you said, Sakura-san: there _are_ weaknesses to the Sharingan. You just happened to find one of them, though I wouldn't suggest trying that with every Sharingan user. We are not all the same."

Before leaving, Itachi held out his hand and knowing already what he was doing, Sakura joined him in making the seal of reconciliation, curling her fingers around his.

"Continue training as you are now," Itachi murmured, "and you will be a very powerful woman, Sakura-san."

* * *

She still couldn't believe her ears.

She still couldn't what the hell had just happened.

She, Haruno Sakura, had just sparred with Uchiha Itachi. Now that it was over, she couldn't help but feel like it was all a bit _too_ random. Did Itachi always watch his younger brother spar? Was it merely a coincidence? Or did it go deeper than that?

Was she just overthinking things as usual?

After speaking with the other Itachi, however, Sakura couldn't help but question everything the Itachi of this timeline said and did. Apparently, she would be the one to light up his world, which was now cast in darkness. But he seemed perfectly capable of seeing to her.

Another question…

Why didn't he seem as strong as the other Itachi?

Even through his memories, Sakura had been able to sense the raw power that emanated from within him. Half of the time he wasn't even trying. Sure, _this_ Itachi seemed to be the same, but still… It was so hard to explain. It was like _this_ Itachi was missing something that the _other_ Itachi had.

What was it?

"Sakura-chan!"

She looked over her shoulder, grinning brightly at Naruto's proud expression as he joined her. His own grin was just as large, if not bigger.

"How the hell did you manage that?" he asked with obvious disbelief. "Itachi's crazy strong!"

Yes, yes he was. "Everyone has a weakness, Naruto," Sakura explained with a wink. "Uchiha-san just so happens to have the same one as Sasuke-kun."

"Really?"

It wasn't Naruto who asked the question and when Sasuke stood by their side, frowning questioningly, Sakura nodded once and smiled. "Behind you and a little to the right. If I'm underground at _that_ angle, then your Sharingan doesn't pick up on my moves, does it?"

He was disgruntled, though reluctantly nodded once. "It won't-"

"Be the same for everyone who possesses the Sharingan, I know."

"You got lucky." Sasuke's eyes shifted, looking in the direction his older brother had just left in. "Now that you've pointed out his weakness, Itachi will make sure it doesn't work to your advantage in your next spar."

Next spar? Sakura resisted the urge to frown in confusion and instead shrugged. Maybe Naruto punched Sasuke a little _too_ hard, because she seriously doubted that Uchiha Itachi, of all people, would seek her out to spar again. That one has lasted just under ten minutes.

"And next time…" He looked back to her and raised an eyebrow. "Be prepared for him to get serious."

Get…

Get serious?

"What the hell, Sasuke?" Naruto snarled at him and it was clear his previous anger was returning. It only aided in adding fuel to his new anger. "He _was_ taking Sakura-chan serious. He had his Sharingan activated!"

But Sasuke only shook his head and turned his back on them both, walking away while waving them off dismissively. "My brother was testing you, Sakura."

"W-Why?"

He shrugged and disappeared.

* * *

"Don't pay any attention to that bastard, Sakura-chan," Naruto told her with a smile as he threw his arm over her shoulders.

They were currently walking down the streets of Konoha and due to it being mid-afternoon, it was busy. The markets stalls were all open, with their vendors yelling loudly over one another in order to attract a possible customer's attention. In all honesty, they needn't bother, because each of their stands were filled with eye catching items. Naruto had to keep pulling her along because she kept pausing to see what was on sale.

"He's probably jealous, you know," explained Naruto with his best 'intelligent' expression. "We all know you've just been on a mission with Itachi and I guess he doesn't like the fact you're getting closer to him."

Closer? To Uchiha Itachi? Hardly. They may have traded a few words during their spar, but it was the only time since returning from their mission that they had spoken. Other than today, she hadn't really seen Itachi around the village. Either he was a recluse who stayed at home all the time, or he just happened to be in different places to herself every minute of every day.

During the past two weeks, Sakura had managed to get her hair cut evenly to just below her shoulders (her hairdresser had had a thing or two to say about the state her hair was in, too) as well as meet with her shishou, who was proud of her student for taking on Akasuna no Sasori with unwavering bravery.

"_Hey, look out!"_

The second the words registered in her mind, she felt her left side suddenly grow very cold and it took Sakura a few moments to realise it was because Naruto had disappeared. Frowning and following the direction he'd run off in, her green eyes widened with shock and horror at the sight of a heavy decoration collapsing from the centre of the market. It was in the process of being put up for the festival that would celebrate the chunin exams, along with all other decorations. However, this one was much heavier than the rest and was usually the centrepiece, which was why it was placed in the busiest part of Konoha: the market square.

And right beneath the collapsing decoration that was taking four strong looking men to put it up…

Were three children playing innocently.

Damn it, where were their parents? How could they let their children out of their sight during such a busy time and with construction going on?

As expected of her blond teammate, he immediately created several clones who aided him in not only catching the huge decoration, but also moving the children away to a safer place. He knew his father wouldn't be thrilled about the centrepiece of the festival decorations being destroyed, or the children of his village being crushed to death by said centrepiece, though the look in his blue eyes as they met with hers made his anger obvious.

Who the hell worked in such crowded conditions without the necessary safety procedures?

One of the children were crying, Sakura realised and as she did, she made her way over to them and knelt before the three of them with a soft frown.

"Are any of you hurt?"

The youngest of the three, who appeared to be no older than four years old, nodded quickly and sniffled, lifting her dress to show Sakura her knee. Of course they already knew who she was. Everybody knew of Tsunade and because of her connection to the blonde, they knew of her, too. The pink hair was a dead giveaway.

"Here." She gave the girl a gentle smile and raised her hand, carefully brushing it against her knee. With just a short, minute glowing of her hand, the wound was healed and all that was left behind was a small drop of blood. "All better?"

Once again, the little girl sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes roughly, like she was trying to make sense of what had just happened. "It's… It's all better!" Brown eyes met her and brightened considerably. "Thank you!"

"Where are your parents?" Naruto huffed as he joined them.

In the background, his clones were working with the construction men, helping them to finish putting the decoration up safely. They were grumbling about it, not wanting to share their pay and in return, the Naruto-clones were rolling their eyes or snapping at them to be grateful that he was helping in the first place.

"Shopping," yelled the eldest-looking child in the same manner.

He looked to be around seven, possibly even eight, years of age and there was an intelligent air around him, though that certainly didn't stop him from acting like a child as they had seen mere moments ago. His black framed round glasses rested at an angle on his nose and behind them were the same coloured eyes as the girl's.

"Oi, don't talk to me like that, you little brat," snapped Naruto angrily. He clenched his fist and towered over the three children, gritting his teeth as he then growled out, "You shouldn't even be playing in the market square. Can't you see that the preparations for the exams are in full swing?"

Yes, the child was smart, because he seemed to already know what was going on. "Don't call me a brat, you sweaty fart!"

Oh wow…

_That_ was a new one.

Sakura covered her mouth to try and smother her giggle, looking away when wide blue eyes looked to her with disbelief clear within them. Obviously, Naruto had been hoping for her to side with him and usually she would have (okay, maybe that was a lie since they were only kids). However, how was she supposed to take the situation seriously after an insult like _that?_

"You-"

Just as Naruto was about to reply with his own insult, the middle child narrowed her eyes dangerously and stomped down hard on his foot, grabbing the other children's hands before running away.

He tried to give chase, but Sakura grabbed his wrist and rolled her eyes. "They're just kids, Naruto."

"I just saved their lives!"

That was true and at the very least, they should have thanked him. "And one day they'll be grateful for that."

"But-"

Rolling her eyes again, Sakura linked her arm through his and tugged on it, dragging him away from the scene. "Come on, Naruto. How about I treat you to ramen?" At his brightening expression, she quickly added, "Just one bowl, though."

However, just as they began to make their way towards Ichiraku's, they were interrupted by ANBU.

Sakura had mixed feelings about the ANBU operatives. It was hard conversing with someone without seeing their expression, or knowing who was behind the mask. The cliché feeling was easy to ignore, though because at the end of the day, they were the ones who were repeatedly taking higher risks than all of them put together. They took the jobs that would haunt even the strongest of men without complaint, just so that their village could remain safe.

Had she ever considered being a part of ANBU? Sure. At some point, every shinobi _thought_ about it as it was only natural to. Kakashi had even spoken to the team about it before, saying it was a decision that only they could make. It wouldn't destroy the team and it wouldn't rip them apart. It simply meant they wouldn't have as many missions together.

Something always held her back from making that decision, though and Sakura wasn't entirely sure what it was.

Her greatest fear was dying alone while out on a mission. She'd travelled every single nation, had walked through nearly every single village that was out there and countless of times she'd seen a dead body lying on the side of an unnamed dirt road, unimportant, uncared for and completely forgotten about. It… terrified her. She didn't want that to ever be _her_. Being a part of ANBU made that possibility even more… Well, possible. The chances of that happening would grow higher and higher.

"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you."

Sakura frowned over at Naruto, who shrugged in response. "Find me after and we'll get ramen, Sakura-chan." Then, he grinned. "It'll still be your treat, though."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his predictable reply before turning towards the ANBU operative, nodding her head once. "Thank you for the message."

And then they disappeared.

The journey to the Hokage Tower was short, as she didn't want to make Minato wait for her any longer than he had to and during the short travel, Sakura wondered what he could possibly want her for. Was it another mission? One without her team, since Naruto hadn't been told to go to him, too?

Childishly, she hoped that wasn't the case. It had been a while since she'd last been on a mission with her boys. No, the mission with Itachi hadn't been too bad, but it just wasn't the same. He didn't lighten the mood like Naruto did and while Itachi was similar to Sasuke for obvious reasons, he _wasn't _Sasuke. Team Seven's teamwork was still shaky and questionable, but they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and, vaguely, they knew what to expect from one another. Itachi kept surprising her during their last mission because she knew _nothing about him_.

There was no one around as Sakura knocked on the Hokage's door, entering the office at his saying so. As always, there was a stack of papers on the desk that was piled ridiculously high and, much to her surprise, there were seven more piles beside the desk. Whether they were already done or not was unclear from her position, though Sakura knew it would all be for the chunin exams and it wasn't like Minato could ask for someone to help him, because this was _his_ responsibility as the Hokage, to make sure everybody would be safe.

"You asked to see me, Hokage-sama?"

The blond looked up, his blue eyes crinkling with a warm smile. That was what Sakura liked most about him. He could be so deadly serious, but at the same time, so warm and comforting.

"Yes, I did," replied Minato and he sat back in his seat, placing down the pen he'd been using. "You did well during your last mission, Sakura-chan. Very well, I've heard."

Oh? "Has Uchiha-san updated his reports, Hokage-sama? I feel like this is kind of out of the blue."

"Not at all." He smiled once more and stood up, walking around his desk and leaning back on it. "But I will admit that yes, it probably seems unexpected for you to be hearing this now. Two weeks have past, after all."

She nodded. It _was_ rather random. If this conversation had taken place a couple of days after their return, then she'd understand, but two weeks later? It made little sense.

"However, it has been brought to my attention that perhaps your skills aren't being used to their full potential."

What?

"Hokage-sama?" Sakura frowned and resisted the urge to nervously bite her lip. Where was he going with this?

"It has been a long time since I last heard Uchiha Itachi-san praise somebody," Minato told her with a smile, "but while discussing how you were on your mission, he had nothing but praise."

He…

Itachi praised her? Even after all their disagreements?

Noticing her curiosity only made Minato's smile widen. "The one thing he couldn't stress enough, Sakura-chan, is that you are a very selfless person. You're somebody who will put themselves in danger if it means alleviating the threat towards another."

She shook her head, murmuring quietly, "I was just doing my job, Hokage-sama. I'm a medic, so I-"

"Itachi-san also said that you are incredibly stubborn, which I, of course, already knew about."

Sakura couldn't help but deadpan.

_Bastard!_

Just wait until she got her hands on the little weasel.

Either he didn't notice, or didn't pay any attention to her silent rage, because Minato stood up straight once more and made his way over to her, placing his hand on her shoulder and smiling proudly.

"That is why, as of today and after much careful consideration, I am promoting you to ANBU."

* * *

ANBU.

Haruno Sakura.

ANBU.

Medic.

ANBU.

Death.

ANBU was… Everything a medic wasn't supposed to be. It was dirty and shady, with its operatives hiding in the shadows and always fighting.

Then again, they always fought for Konoha.

Sakura simply couldn't get her head around the fact that she was going to be a part of ANBU. Sure, Minato had given her some time to digest the promotion and to turn it down if it wasn't for her, but… She didn't want to disappoint anyone.

There had been rumours as of late that ANBU operatives were coming back in worse conditions than ever, mainly due to the fact that they had _no_ medics at all on their squadrons. Even if it was just her… She would be making a difference.

It wasn't much time, but Minato had given her an hour to think over her decision before reporting back to him.

Other medics weren't allowed to be a part of ANBU because they weren't allowed on the front lines – and that was exactly what being an ANBU operative was all about. All other missions that ordinary shinobi did were behind the front lines. ANBU took on the dirty, the deadly and the downright unforgivable missions.

They…

Sakura slowly came to a stop in her walk down the steps of the Hokage Tower, frowning to herself.

ANBU needed her.

Minato hadn't said those words, but it had been in his eyes. ANBU needed her medical skills so they would be able to continue protecting Konoha. But was she really cut out for something such as ANBU? Sure, she had the medical skills they needed, but what about her strength? It was hardly discreet and it could be spotted miles away (literally). Not to mention she was only average when it came to genjutsu.

Refraining from suddenly ripping her hair out, Sakura took a deep breath. Having a panic attack wasn't going to help anyone, was it? Especially not when she was blocking the stairs for everyone else. Cursing to herself, Sakura turned to face the village and gripped a tight hold of the railing at the edge of the stairs. It hadn't always been there. When Tsunade returned to the village, in all her drunken glory, Minato had ordered for the banister to be made in order to keep the accidents to a minimum.

The day should have been beautiful – when she woke up, it _had been_. No, until she'd been given the news of being promoted to ANBU, the day had been breathtakingly beautiful. Who wouldn't want a brightly beaming sun, a clear blue sky and a gentle breeze to keep them cool enough so that the heat didn't become unbearable? It should've been the perfect day.

Funny how one bit of news could ruin that for a person.

"Caught up in your thoughts, huh?"

Sakura refused to show her shock. Growing up, she should've gotten used to his habit of appearing out of nowhere. "You would know, Kakashi-sensei."

There was a quiet sound of amusement as he joined her in leaning against the railing, looking out on the village. His presence was comforting, as always. They didn't need to converse for him to know that there was a problem, or that she merely needed somebody to stand by her side.

Her saddened mood only continued to spiral downwards when she looked at her former sensei. Apparently their history in the other Itachi's timeline wasn't any different. Even there, Kakashi hadn't paid much attention to her and eventually, they all left him. The only difference was that, after they left, he truly was alone. There was no Minato, or Obito or even Rin. Everybody he had ever cared for in one way or another were all dead and anyone else was kept at arms length.

Sakura quickly looked back out at the village, fiercely fighting back the warm stinging in her eyes.

_Cold blooded killer._

_Friend killer._

_Pervert._

How… How could people be so cruel?

"I wouldn't know," drawled Kakashi after he sighed, "but sometimes talking to someone helps."

Nobody could know of the things she knew about. "I-It's nothing."

_It's everything._

Looking over his shoulder as he heard a couple of jonin leaving the tower, Kakashi asked, "Want to go somewhere more private?"

Sakura couldn't help but half-chuckle, half-sob. "You're not very good at giving advice, Sensei."

He pouted beneath his mask. "Such a mean thing to say to an old man, Sakura-chan."

"You're not old." She rolled her burning eyes and glanced up at him. "You're not even thirty yet."

There was a small smile. How she knew it was small was because there wasn't much of a crease to his eye. "You learn something new every day."

He was willing to learn how to give good advice for and to her? Sakura bit her lip. While she couldn't tell him anything the other Itachi had shared with her, his advice on being an operative of ANBU _would_ be useful to hear. There was also the added bonus of him being her former sensei and somebody she looked up to and admired greatly. His advice would be important to her.

"Come on." Apparently, Kakashi was able to read her expression, because he was suddenly walking down the steps and expecting her to follow. "We can even stop for takeout on the way."

How was she supposed to say no to that? Especially if it was his treat?

* * *

It wasn't his treat.

It had been hers, the stingy bastard.

"ANBU, eh?" Kakashi sighed and leaned back into the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.

They were sat in her apartment, sharing the sofa since it was directly beneath the air conditioning. Like she'd thought earlier: the breeze kept it from growing too warm, but now that they were indoors, the heat was escalating. In front of them sat several empty plates from their takeout.

_That she had paid for!_

"I don't know what to do, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura confessed. "I'm… worried and a little scared and…"

"It'd be strange if you weren't," he replied lightly. "ANBU is a scary thing to get involved with, Sakura, because everything is kept in the dark for everyone else's sake." His head tilted to the side and he glanced down at her, adding, "And once you're in, it's for life."

Yeah, she knew that much already – who didn't? "I don't…" She sighed. "I can't figure out if it'd be the right decision or not."

"That's because you're thinking about it too much."

"W-What?"

Kakashi sighed and rested his hands on his knees, looking at complete ease in her home. It surprised her, in all honesty. He blended in rather well with their surroundings and looked so comfortable, despite the fact he'd never been in her apartment before. Well, not including the time she passed out and he'd brought her home.

"Joining ANBU is a decision you leave to your instinct, Sakura," he told her patiently. "Cut out all other thoughts about your bonds with people and think only about the village and how you're tied to it. Will you be able to better protect the village as an ANBU operative?" There was a pause. "Don't think, just say what your gut tells you."

Oh, Gods…

"…Yes."

Sakura dropped her head into her hands. Right from the start, she knew the village would benefit from her being a part of ANBU, but to outwardly admit it was so… daunting. "What about the team?" She shot up straight with a worried expression. "What about Naruto? O-Or Sasuke-kun? They'll think I'm abandoning them."

By her side, Kakashi shifted before resting his hand on her back. "No, they won't. I told you all a while back that being a part of ANBU doesn't take you away from your team. It just means that you won't go on as many missions together." There was a pause and during it, Kakashi sighed. "Nobody is supposed to know when you join ANBU, Sakura. That is why you're never officially removed from your current team."

But then… She'd be _lying_ to them.

They would be believing that she was still a member of Team Seven when really, she would be a member of ANBU. ANBU missions were top priority. Where would that leave the team? All their hard work over the years and all of the support her boys had given to her after Ino had died… Wouldn't that mean none of it mattered? If she left them, would that mean they would think that they didn't matter to her?

Then again, Kakashi had told her to cut out the thoughts about her bonds with others.

What mattered, as a shinobi, was the safety of Konoha.

"They would understand," he murmured softly to her. "As shinobi themselves, they would understand the sacrifice you're making, Sakura."

She bit her lip. "…I just can't tell them about the sacrifice."

Kakashi once again sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

Joining ANBU… at fifteen years old.

It was definitely something she never saw coming.


	16. Welcome to the Team

**Chapter 16**

**Welcome To The Team**

* * *

Blossom petals swirled around them both, obscuring the view and making it impossible to use any of their senses. Well, it did that to her opponent. She used their sudden blindness to attack, gripping her katana with a firm grip before swinging from the side, aiming straight for the throat.

The clone popped out of existence.

_One down._

They were working on her fighting skills, attempting to make them more discreet. This way she would have a variety of skills instead of always depending on her monstrous strength. It had been her teammate's idea and Sakura could see the logic, but couldn't deny that she missed using her fists. Her teammates…

Spinning, she threw her katana with her enhanced strength. It whistled through the air, moving too quickly for her next opponent to keep track of.

A second later and there was another pop.

The next round would be the most difficult.

That didn't mean Sakura was underestimating them, because she didn't. In fact, she was surprised that it was so easy taking them out but then again, these were just clones. This was just the first round of her training.

* * *

"_Sakura-chan," greeted Minato as she entered his office._

"_Is now a bad time, Hokage-sama?" she asked, noticing the four figures standing in front of his desk._

_A strange feeling settled in her stomach as Sakura took note of the fact they were all wearing ANBU gear. Would these guys be her teammates? No, the correct question was: _were_ they going to be her new teammates?_

_He shook his head and motioned for her to come forward. "Not at all."_

_Taking her eyes away from the ANBU operatives, who eerily moved to stand to the side of the room in a line, Sakura walked over to the desk, standing in front of her Hokage._

_His blue eyes warmed. "You have already come to your decision."_

_Was she really that easy to read? Or was it simply the fact that he'd watched her grow from a whiny, superficial brat to a strong woman?_

_Tch._

_Woman?_

_She was hardly a woman._

"_Yes, sir." Her eyes stayed locked on his. Serious and determined. She would not let him down. "And my answer is yes. I accept the promotion."_

"_Thank you, Sakura," Minato said gratefully. "ANBU is in need of medics, but as you are aware, we cannot send medics who do not possess the __Byakugō no In. These are rules created by Tsunade-sama herself, in order to protect our medic-nin."_

_Yes, that was the first thing she had been taught._

_His eyes drifted to her own seal and in response, the violet rhombus felt like it grew in size – just like her forehead. Why did Minato have to look at it so intently?_

"_We were all surprised when you managed to activate the __Byakugō no In at such a young age, for Tsunade-sama herself couldn't do so until she was well into her late twenties. Not only that, but you have mastered her enhanced strength and, from what I have been told, hardly need to use any chakra to enhance your strength now."_

_A faint blush swept over her cheeks. Praise? From the Hokage himself?_

_Hell yeah!_

"_It's true, Hokage-sama."_

_Once more, Minato smiled at her. "Would you like to meet your team, Sakura-chan?"_

_Hopefully unnoticeably, Sakura swallowed nervously and not for the first time, her green eyes drifted to the four ANBU operatives who were still standing at the side of the room, facing her in a straight line. Kind of unnerving, when she paid too much attention to them._

"_Can I ask just one thing, Hokage-sama?" Sakura looked back to Minato and frowned softly when he nodded. "What about Naruto and Sasuke-kun? I know that I won't officially be removed from Team Seven, but…" She sighed. "It's silly, but I feel like I'm abandoning them after all that they've done for me."_

_The warmth never left his expression and for that, she was grateful. There was no annoyed glower, or sighs of exasperation. Minato knew that she had a big heart. He knew how much she loved her teammates. _"_I won't lie to you," Minato explained, "ANBU missions can be extremely chaotic and as well as that, they are deadly. I know I don't need to remind you of the fact that you must never tell Naruto or Sasuke-kun about your promotion." Reluctantly, she nodded. "However, I will not allow for them to believe you have abandoned them, Sakura-chan. You can trust me on this."_

_This time, her nod was less reluctant._

"_Now, I believe it is time to meet your team." Raising his hand, he gestured towards the four operatives standing at the side of his office. "You may all remove your masks now."_

_They'd been expecting her, Sakura realised. Or perhaps they were watching over the Hokage and were called down after sensing her arrival? She doubted that they would tell her anything any time soon, anyway._

_The shortest of them all removed his mask without hesitation, though needn't have bothered, for his face was just as empty as his mask. In a way, he reminded her of Sasuke – though only appearance-wise. His skin was just as pale and his eyes and hair were just as dark._

"_My name is Sai," was all he said._

_Wow, his voice was even emptier than his face._

_The next to remove his mask was none other than Hyuuga Neji, much to her surprise and perhaps even delight. He nodded once to her, murmuring, "You already know of me."_

_When the hell had Neji joined ANBU? And how the hell did he still find the time for his former team? Sakura saw him with Tenten, Gai and Lee all the time._

_Hope bloomed in her chest._

_The next guy was almost at the same height as the last person. His hair was dark and wavy, sticking up in different directions in a way Sakura found familiar and when his mask was finally lowered to his side, she was pleasantly surprised to find out she recognised him._

_And, in a way, felt like she knew him way more than she actually did, thanks to the other Itachi's memories._

"_We have met before, though hardly spoken," he stated with a single nod, "I'm Uchiha Shisui."_

_Yes… She knew that._

_Oh Gods, would she ever get over seeing those who were dead in the other Itachi's world, alive and kicking? _ _Was this how he felt all the time?_

_The last man to remove his mask did not surprise her in the least. In fact, Sakura's gut had been twisting and aching the second she walked through the door and saw that damned ponytail of his. The ends of his dark hair easily reached the middle of his back._

"_Uchiha Itachi," Sakura huffed and folded her arms over her chest. "Can't get enough of me, can you?"_

_Other than the rising of his eyebrow, Itachi's features were blank._

"_First our mission together, then that spar – or test, whatever the hell it was – and now this? Having me made a part of your team?" By his side, Shisui smirked. Itachi remained unamused. "I'm starting to think you have a thing for me."_

"_You are skilled," he replied without hesitation, "and as I have told Hokage-sama: it would be a waste not to take advantage of your skills."_

_He was back to being the cold, arrogant asshole he'd been at the beginning of their mission, it seemed. Again, Sakura huffed and turned to face Minato once more, her expression suddenly turning pleading. "Hokage-sama, this is harassment."_

"_It is for the sake of the village."_

"_So you keep saying." She rolled her eyes at Itachi's words and groaned. "And ANBU missions mean leaving the village for prolonged periods of time…"_

_He was trying so damn hard to keep a straight face. Even Sakura could see that. "I'm afraid so, Sakura-chan," Minato replied lightly._

"_I _just_ returned from a mission with him!" Her hands came down onto the desk and she pouted, exaggerating her pain. "Do you know how hard it is living with Uchiha Itachi-san, Hokage-sama? Do you?" Fists clenching, she then pointed at him accusingly. "He _force fed_ me! He actually pinned me to the bed and forced food down my throat."_

_This time, Neji was the one who was smirking, though he tilted his head to the side to try and mask it. Shisui, however, chuckled loudly and clapped Itachi's back. Not very surprisingly, the latter was beginning to look annoyed. Good. Her new mission in life was to get on his very last nerve, to the point where it would be impossible for him to go a day without thinking of her and what her next move would be._

_And from the look in his hard eyes, Sakura could tell that he knew what she was thinking._

_The game was on._

"_Are you sure she is cut out for ANBU, Hokage-sama?" Sai asked tonelessly. "She is very young, obnoxious and ugly."_

_Ug…_

"_S-Sai-kun," Minato chuckled nervously and raised his hands, trying to wave him off from saying more, "Sakura-chan is-"_

_Even Neji looked wary, especially when her eyebrow began ticking._

"_Did you just…" Slowly, she turned to face him and at that moment in time, Sakura's eyes were harder than Itachi's had been a few seconds ago. "Did you just call me _ugly_?"_

_The smile he gave her was creepy and _so fake_. "I can call you 'Hag', if you would prefer it."_

"_You…" Her fists clenched once more and she took a step forward. "You…"_

_Neji stepped away from Sai without batting an eyelid and from behind his desk, Minato gulped._

_Sakura smiled sweetly all of a sudden, throwing him off guard._

_And then_ _…_

"_Shannaro!"_

* * *

Perhaps not the best way to greet her new team, but thankfully, Neji and Shisui saw the humorous side of it and they understood that she was trying to make the transition more lighthearted and easier for everyone.

After all, if she was going to survive ANBU and come out mostly unscathed, then she would have to keep her lighthearted personality close to her heart and on the tip of her tongue. Obviously, she would be serious for missions, but there was no reason as to why she couldn't get to know her teammates and have a couple of laughs here and there with them. It would be too serious for her, otherwise.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as a kunai thrown from the east caught her shirt as she dodged backwards, managing to rip it.

Damn it! That was new.

"Don't think I've forgiven you yet," she yelled in his direction, already knowing exactly who'd thrown it.

Picking up on the shift in the air, Sakura quickly leaned backwards, _feeling_ the chakra emanating from Neji's hand as it narrowly missed catching her left shoulder.

Distance.

She needed distance from him.

He lunged for her again and again, never allowing her to create the distance she so desperately needed. If he hit her, then it was all over. Hyuuga Neji was notorious for completely shutting down his opponent's chakra system before ending their lives. If that happened, then it would obviously all be over. They would all think she was too weak for ANBU.

But taking on _Hyuuga Neji?_ The prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan?

How would she do it? In order to-

Wait.

Refusing to show any sign of coming up with a strategy, Sakura schooled her features into a frustrated mask, hiding her true intentions. And as Neji continued advancing on her, with his hands coming at her quicker than before, she gritted her teeth and ducked under one hand. It only took a second to summon her chakra to form a chakra scalpel. It only took another added second to slice it across his wrist and forearm, cleanly slicing the muscle. Painful, but not fatal and certainly not permanent. It would also give her the time she needed to end her spar with him.

He was used to Lee's brute strength and since he obviously knew who she was, he would be expecting that of her. It was the same with his sensei, Gai. Tenten… Neji was used to dodging her weapons. What was something his team didn't use very often, if at all?

Ninjutsu.

While he was struggling, Sakura leapt backwards and created several clones, giving herself enough time to speed through the hand signs.

_Snake. Ram. Horse. Hare. Ram. Horse. Hare. Snake. Ox._

She clapped her hands.

"_Suirō no Jutsu!"_

Neji realised what was happening, but it was too late.

The inescapable sphere of water had already engulfed him, forcing Neji to hold his breath lest he wished to drown. Of course, Sakura wouldn't let that happen. There was always an upside to a downside, after all. The downside of this particular jutsu was that she had to keep at least one of her arms inside the sphere at all times, otherwise her prisoner would be released. However, because of keeping her arm in the sphere, she was able to sense the changes in Neji's heartrate and his lungs. The second it became too much for his body to handle any longer, she would release him. Her spar was over with him now, anyway, for she had already won.

Closing her eyes and focusing on the chakra surrounding her, Sakura had one of her clones dart in front of her real body, blocking the kunai that suddenly rained down on her.

And then she heard the roaring of a beast.

Startled, her widened eyes darted to the left, only continuing to widen when two great beasts charged towards her. Were they… They were drawings! Was this Sai's ability? To bring drawings to life?

Damn it…

The water prison was a bad idea. Not to mention it was risky. If Neji focused hard enough, he'd be able to break out of it. He was a genius with the way he used his chakra. It wouldn't take him long to figure out how to escape.

Several of the clones she had made shot forward to meet Sai's beast drawings head on, one gripping a tight hold of her katana, while the others all decided to use brute strength. Aside from that punch in the Hokage's office, Sai had no idea how strong she was and what one of her punches could do.

It was settled.

The clone that continued to guard her real body raised her kunai and fell into a defensive stance.

Damn it, and she'd wanted to save most of her available chakra for Uchiha Itachi since apparently, he was only testing her the first time they'd sparred. _Where was he? _And where was Shisui, for that matter?

The clone on the right clenched her fist and flung it forward, slamming it into the beast's heads.

Ink exploded everywhere, drenching them all.

They weren't that strong, were they? Sakura thought with a secretive frown. For just one of her punches to defeat it like that… It was almost like one of Naruto's clones, in a way.

_Attack like they're Naruto's clones!_

A lot simpler than it seemed in the beginning.

It seemed her clones caught onto her way of thinking, because the one clutching her katana released it and instead lashed her leg out, smashing her foot into the beast's stomach.

A shift in the water.

Neji's heartbeat.

Sakura yanked her arm out of the water prison and instantly, it released the Hyuuga prodigy, leaving him to drop to the floor and splutter momentarily. With her clones keeping Sai preoccupied, Sakura knelt beside him and checked over his vitals. Since this was also part of the test, Neji did not stop her or try to attack. He understood that he had lost this spar.

"I underestimated you," he murmured once he got his breath back. Then, Neji smirked. "I won't be doing that again."

She returned his smirk, already understanding that he'd expected her to be the same as her childish thirteen-year-old self. "Good, because I wouldn't recommend underestimating me."

He nodded once in Sai's direction. "Go."

She did.

* * *

Neji and Sai…

Defeated.

Panting, Sakura stared ahead of herself to where Uchiha Shisui was standing proudly. He had one hand resting on his hip while his body was turned slightly to the side. Judging… Watching… Waiting. Her heart felt as though it was beating about a million miles an hour and around her, the air was definitely way warmer than it had been before. So much so that she could barely even breathe, because the air was too thick, too heavy and she _couldn't breathe!_

The sight of Shisui shifting had her tensing, had Sakura grabbing her katana and holding it out in front of herself defensively. Well, when she said the katana was hers, it was more like it had been lent to her until she received her own ANBU gear.

Another shift and with it, Sakura's eyes moved with him, though she soon figured out why the temperature was suddenly escalating and why her nerves were shot.

Genjutsu.

There was a slight difference to the colour of the flame above the door. Since they were in ANBU's private training grounds, which happened to be indoors and way underground, Sakura had made sure to take note of everything and committed it all to memory. Even colours of the walls and small indentations from previous spars, as well as the colour of the flames and shape of them.

That flame had a little _too_ much yellow in it.

Her free hand raised quickly and Sakura released the genjutsu, though with obvious difficulty. She hadn't been expecting it to be so powerful. It was like there had been several layers to it.

And the moment the real world took shape once more, she leaned backwards, narrowly dodging the katana that was about to take her head off. Sneaky bastard! Capturing his opponents in a nerve-racking genjutsu and killing them while their heads were all over the place. Sneaky, yet so very smart at the same time. Still, though… Raising her own katana, Sakura blocked his when it suddenly swished downwards after her and during the battle of strengths when their katana clashed, she sent chakra down to her left foot, holding her in place. The other slammed upwards.

He dodged with frustrating ease.

All Shisui did in order to dodge the kick was move his head back, his red and black eyes never leaving her foot as it passed him. He then grabbed her leg and let go of his katana, much to her horror, soon using both hands to hold onto her leg.

"What the-"

Her words were cut off as she was flung across the training room like she was nothing but a doll.

_What the fuck?_

_Where the hell did that strength come from?_

There was no time to so much as take a breath because all of a sudden, the air behind her was shifting and she could feel something flickering. When she looked over her shoulder, Sakura was stunned to see Shisui appearing behind her in a flash, his face blank and serious all at the same time. She spun to meet his blow with her own, the colliding of their fists feeling as though the air around them was vibrating.

Already, Sakura could tell Uchiha Shisui was on a whole other level to her. His Sharingan… From what she'd seen of the other Itachi's memories, it was incredibly dangerous and-

The memories!

There was a weak point somewhere. When they'd been sparring, Itachi had taken full advantage of his weak point. Exploited it, even. All she had to do…

_There!_

Once more, Sakura spun in the air, using the momentum she built up to lash her leg out, aiming straight for Shisui's left knee and once it connected, he immediately grunted and dropped to the ground.

At the age of seventeen, Uchiha Shisui had sprained his knee during a battle _so badly_ that it never fully recovered. Well, it _did_ recover, but his left knee was much weaker than the right. By the look on his face when he looked up at her from checking out his knee, however, Sakura realised with hidden, building dread, that not a lot of people knew of that weakness.

"How did you…?"

His muttered words were interrupted as Itachi came down out of what seemed like nowhere, coming to his friend's defence.

Sakura did her best to put more distance between them, but Itachi already knew her fighting style: retreat and attack. He wouldn't give her the chance to retreat, therefore, wouldn't give her the chance to attack. His katana was the next thing to appear out of nowhere and Sakura cursed herself for dropping hers near Shisui. If she could just-

No. It wasn't going to happen.

Yanking her arm back before it was cut off, she narrowed her eyes up at the Uchiha and when he once more brought the katana down on her, Sakura grabbed two kunai from her pouch, grunting when the katana collided with them. There was more power behind that attack than she'd been expecting.

His eyes were insanely intimidating, forcing her to keep her own locked onto his body, watching every movement and preparing her body to shift out of the way. That was the most important thing at that moment in time: dodging. He was putting her on the defensive.

Not for much longer, though.

"I hope your katana isn't too expensive, _Taichou_."

Chakra engulfed her hand, causing it to glow bright blue and before Itachi could even blink, she was releasing one of her kunai and swinging her fist forward just as he slashed at her once more.

The sound of it snapping in half and imbedding into the ground seemed to echo around them.

He wasn't fazed by the action and instead reached for his kunai instantly, spinning once and shifting to a different side.

To her right side.

_"You're more open and vulnerable on your right side."_

Shit!

She raised her hands, about to block the attack, but as soon as she did, Itachi spun once more so that he was behind her, with the kunai he was holding pressed against her throat.

_Stay still_, her mind yelled at her, but instinctively, Sakura gasped and threw herself backwards. Apparently, he'd been expecting it, because Itachi didn't flinch or move an inch.

"You fought well, Sakura-san." Oh, so he was finally listening to what she wanted and calling her by her chosen name? "However, you failed to dispatch of Shisui despite injuring him and you also failed to defeat me."

Jeez! "Give me _some_ credit, Taichou," grumbled Sakura in return. "You're all crazy strong!"

"However," Shisui added as he made his way over to them with Neji and Sai following him, "you managed to heal Hyuuga-san while in the middle of battle. Sure, it wasn't a real battle, but at that time, Sai-san was coming at you with the intention of killing you."

_Yeah, thanks Sai,_ she thought sarcastically.

Ugly.

Tch.

None of the suspicion that had previously been in his eyes remained, much to her gratefulness. Using that dirty trick had been way too risky and Sakura had only realised that too late.

The kunai that was still against her throat finally moved and was put away, allowing her to move away from the warmth of Itachi's chest.

Pouting, she looked up at him. "Sasuke-kun was telling the truth. You weren't even using half of your strength earlier, were you?"

Something softened in his expression for a fraction of a second before disappearing completely. "We have our first mission."

What?

So suddenly?

"We will not be leaving the village," Itachi informed them all. Sakura had the feeling it was only directed at her, though. "In fact, we will rarely be leaving Hokage-sama's side."

The chunin exams.

"Our mission is to protect Hokage-sama throughout the chunin exams, including the festivals before, after and throughout the exams." Looking to them all, he then added, "We will never be more than fifty feet away from Hokage-sama, unless he is in the safety of his own home. From there, his own personal guard will take over."

Own personal guard… "Why aren't they doing this mission?"

"Hokage-sama's guard have been ordered to focus solely on Kushina-sama," Shisui answered.

Then, Itachi murmured, "Naruto-kun will also be watched by Kakashi-senpai and his watcher."

Sasuke.

Obviously, this was to protect both halves of the Kyuubi. With so many different people entering their village, from so many different places, they had to make sure none of them tried to take their most destructive weapons. In her personal opinion, you would have to be ridiculously stupid to try and take on either Naruto or Kushina, but then again, everybody had their weak moments, didn't they? All an attacker would need was a single opening.

Had she not been promoted to ANBU, would she have been ordered to aid in protecting Naruto?

There was no joking around like there had been earlier. This was a serious moment, so she knew not to try and lighten the mood. Any threat towards their Hokage was unforgivable and the threat had to be destroyed the second you found out about it. Without their Hokage, the village would crumble around them. They needed him.

"As you all know, the festival begins tonight," Itachi went on to say. "We will be in full ANBU gear, including cloaks. Three of us will remain in the shadows, while the other two will flank Hokage-sama at all times."

What a shame.

She'd been looking forward to attending the festival, as well.

Turning to look down at her, Itachi then told her, "You will be accompanying me to ANBU headquarters shortly for your equipment and tattoo."

Her eyes drifted to said tattoo and her stomach twisted at the meaning of it. No, needles did not scare her and she wasn't even the slightest bit nervous about _receiving _a tattoo. It was just that… after the tattoo, she would forever be branded as an ANBU operative and it was… kind of daunting, if you asked her.

The others seemed to understand her hesitation, but thankfully, none of them said nothing about it.

It seemed none of them would be babying her like Team Seven had, though.

And she was looking forward to working with them, Sakura realised belatedly.

* * *

"Taichou…" She bit her lip, ignoring the vague stinging in her upper arm as the needle continued to jab her. "You joined ANBU at a really young age, right?"

Itachi looked to her, silently regarding her for a moment, before nodding once. "Yes."

She grimaced. Not because of the pain, because that was bearable and nothing in comparison to a chakra enhanced blow from her shishou. She was grimacing because she could still _see_ the other Itachi's memories of when he joined ANBU. However, there hadn't been any emotion behind them. Just peaceful acceptance.

"I know you were younger than I am now, but how did you… cope? With the amount of pressure, I mean. It probably seems like nothing to anyone else, but I'm kind of nervous about our first mission." Green eyes narrowed and she glanced downwards, quietly admitting, "I don't want to screw up."

Of course, Sakura already knew that she couldn't go into detail about their mission – not with the tattooist there, anyway. He was probably used to keeping his mouth shut and more than likely heard all kinds of things, but it was still imperative to keep the mission highly classified, especially since they would be shadowing the Hokage and protecting him.

There was no sighing or rolling of his eyes (not that she'd really been expecting someone like Uchiha Itachi to do that). He replied, rather simply, "I was placed onto a team with two others who were supportive. This is what made the transition easier." When Sakura looked up at him, her frown slowly disappeared at his serious, yet genuine, expression. "Know that you can rely on us in the same way I relied on them, Sakura-san."

Teamwork.

"I always thought…" She shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "I always thought that being a member of ANBU meant you merely worked with people. No bonds, no protecting each other while out on a mission. Just… working to complete the mission, even if one or two members of your team die."

This time, there _was_ a sigh, though not one of annoyance. Also, Itachi's eyes looked like they'd gone back in time as they grew distant. "Some teams do work that way. They believe it is better for the village to do so, when in reality, they're destroying their village by thinking in such a way."

"D-Destroying?" Sakura repeated with a gasp of horror. "How?"

"Think about it," he murmured and sat back in his seat beside the table she was leaning back on. "Only those who are exceptionally skilled are promoted to ANBU, Sakura-san. Every time an operative dies their skills are taken away from the village, leaving Konoha weaker and more vulnerable each time."

She hadn't thought of it in that context before. But his way of thinking was so right, wasn't it? They had to work hard to protect Konoha, but at the same time, had to protect one another so that they could _all_ protect the village.

"I was once told that one person should never carry a burden alone, Sakura-san," Itachi suddenly told her. "That is why there is such a thing as teamwork. We work and support each other in order to protect Konoha. You must think of the bigger picture, instead of focusing on one part of it."

Her eyes went back to the tattoo and faintly, she felt proud of herself for having it done. It meant not only was she exceptionally skilled and worthy in her Hokage's eyes, but also strong enough to protect their village and everything his predecessors had built.

She was worthy.

And there wasn't a chance in hell that she would disappoint her Hokage.

* * *

"…That's everything, really."

The gentle breeze from earlier had increased gradually as the day went on and day shifted to night. Normally, it would have blown her hair into her face, or off her face altogether, but since it was all tied back in order to hide her identity, not a single hair was moved out of place. All the wind moved was her clothing.

"We often joked about joining ANBU, didn't we?" Sakura asked quietly as she crouched down and fixed the flowers, leaning them against the marble. "But neither of us really considered it. Not fully, anyway."

On her upper arm, the skin burned with the constant reminder of who she was now.

Haruno Sakura. Fifteen years old. Former student of Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy-Nin and apprentice of the legend that was Senju Tsunade. She wouldn't go into details about what her shishou's nickname was, since it wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

"I promise to make you proud, Ino-Pig," she murmured, her hand tracing the kanji that made up her name. "So make sure you're watching, got it?"

The air behind her shifted and in response, Sakura sighed and shut her eyes. She couldn't ask for privacy, for this was a public area where anybody could mourn for the loss of the shinobi who were killed in action. However, it didn't stop that childish voice from piping up in the back of her mind, demanding to have some alone time with her best friend – the only alone time she could really have now.

The person who had joined her knelt in front of the cenotaph, closing his eyes and bringing his hands together in silent prayer. She respected his prayer by remaining silent, slowly removing her hand from Ino's name.

It still hurt. Ino was one of those people you presumed would always be there, because she'd been so damn hard to get rid of. Time and time again, it had almost driven Sakura insane. At the same time, however, she'd always been grateful for the company – deep down, of course. Ino was always there because she cared so deeply for her friends. The second she sensed even the slightest of shifts in their well-being, or their emotional state, and she would be there, refusing to leave until _she_ believed they were okay.

It was minutes later that the man ended his prayer by clapping and opening his eyes.

"You know," he spoke up, though kept his voice soft and low, "it's been almost seven years now, but it still feels like their deaths were only yesterday."

Sakura's saddened green eyes drifted over to him, only continuing to sadden at the tone of his voice and his body language. Earlier that day, he'd been tall and proud with an air of superiority and now, he was quiet and withdrawn, kneeling in front of the cenotaph with barely composed features.

"I know," replied Sakura just as quietly.

He breathed in deeply through his nose, his chest rising noticeably with the action. "Who are you here for, if you don't mind my asking?"

Strangely enough, Sakura never disliked it when somebody asked her that, because it gave her the chance to tell them of the girl she'd grown up with, of the girl who never had the chance to become a woman. "Yamanaka Ino – she was my best friend."

There was a soft nod before he asked, "Would you mind if I prayed for her?"

Prayed for Ino? Sakura's breathing stopped momentarily until she gave him a shaky nod, unable to hide her surprise. Out of all the things to ask, she had never expected that. Nor had she expected him to actually go through with it as he repeated his earlier motion of praying and clapping once he was finished.

"Who…" It felt like such an invasive question when asking others. "Who are you here for?"

His eyes drifted from hers to the cenotaph and with gentle grace, his fingers grazed the two names etched into the marble. "My first team after becoming genin."

Sakura shut her eyes, trying to block out the mental images of losing her own team. Team Seven… They were her boys, her life. Without them she would truly be lost in a world of darkness.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

He nodded once. "As am I." Then, his hand raised to Ino's name and he traced the kanji. "We'll make them all proud tonight with our hard work."

"…Yeah, Shisui-san."

Shisui smirked softly at the suffix and dropped his hand, giving her an amused look. "Just call me 'Shisui', Sakura-san." Just as she went to argue, he raised an eyebrow, adding, "It seems you know me better than I ever could have imagined, after all."

Oh no.

Her expression must have been horrified, because his amused expression softened once more. "Look, I'm not going to interrogate you. Your business is your own business, unless it becomes an issue to myself or to our team. Our squadron is different from the rest, you see."

"How?" she asked curiously and was grateful that he was dropping the subject, or was at least willing to drop it.

"Don't you find it strange how there are two who possess the Sharingan on our squadron, Sakura-san?"

After a moment of thought, Sakura shook her head with a frown. "No. You both differ in skill, Shisui-san." When he deadpanned, she sighed, "_Shisui."_

Why was he so adamant about her lack of suffix? It made things seem much more intimate than they actually were. They hardly even knew each other and the things Sakura knew of him, were only because of the other Itachi's memories.

"I suppose that is true," Shisui agreed. "To get on with the explanation, we have all been chosen and put on the same team by Hokage-sama _personally_."

Wow. Seriously? She was unable to find the words to share her surprise with him.

He smirked. "We all wish for the same thing, Sakura-san: peace. In one way or another, we have all shown our wishes for our village and possibly even the world. It is because of this that Hokage-sama wishes us to be a squadron that obeys his commands only. We do not take orders from anyone but him."

And after seeing the other Itachi's memories, Sakura was incredibly grateful for that. In this timeline, Homura and Koharu were still alive and well. They were still members of the council. Danzo may no longer exist in their timeline, but they followed his wishes and wished for the same thing, no matter what they had to do in order to grant their own wishes.

"Say, Sakura-san," Shisui tilted his head back to look at the sky, looking almost thoughtful. "What do you think of multiverse theory?"

Her heart and breathing stopped.


	17. With Our Lives, We Will Protect You

**Chapter 17**

**With Our Lives, We Will Protect You**

* * *

"You are unusually calm around Itachi," Shisui commented as the silence dragged out.

No words would leave her lips. All ability to talk, to move, _to breathe_ had suddenly vanished with his single sentence only moments ago.

_"Say, Sakura-san," Shisui tilted his head back to look at the sky, looking almost thoughtful. "What do you think of multiverse theory?"_

Oh shit…

Did he know?

But surely that wasn't possible? The other Itachi was careful, right? The more people who knew about his existence in their world, was obviously a bad thing, right? Already, Sakura was questioning everything she saw and heard and whenever she saw a face from his memories, a face that was supposed to be long gone… It was impossible to form a single coherent thought.

"I have known him since he was just a kid," he added a few minutes later. "Barely even five years old, perhaps. Not a lot of people are comfortable around him, but you seem to be extremely comfortable with him after a single mission." Dark eyes drifted to the side, regarding her. "I wonder why that is."

Maybe because she'd seen what he was truly capable of. Not the horrors or the deadly strength, but the selflessness and his gentle, wounded heart. He was capable of giving up absolutely everything for the person he loved dearly – his little brother. How could she not be comfortable around a man such as that? Sakura wasn't even sure if she'd seen a love as powerful as Itachi's.

"He saw me at my worst," Sakura told him in reply. It was the truth, but it wasn't why she was able to tease and joke around with Itachi. In all honesty, she _wasn't_ comfortable with him. "And… Itachi-san wasn't as cold as he makes himself out to be."

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Itachi-san, huh?"

_Shit!_

_Don't give him a reaction._

She shrugged. "It'll be confusing if I call him 'Uchiha-san' now. You're a member of the team, too, after all."

"I suppose," he agreed. "_However_, we don't use our names in ANBU, Sakura-san. We have codenames. Therefore, you have nothing to worry about."

_Shit, shit, shit!_

"I guess that's true." Sakura's eyes moved to the darkening sky and she tilted her head to the side, feigning curiosity. "But aren't there times when we get together and hang out? You know, like a normal team?"

"No."

That was… hurtful, in a way. It made her quite sad, too. How were they supposed to be a team if they didn't get to know one another? ANBU was scary and tough and mysterious, but did that mean that they couldn't be friends?

There was a sigh. "Itachi prefers things to be this way, Sakura-san. He has been in ANBU a lot longer than the rest of us."

Since he was just a child. "But that's-"

"The way things work, I'm afraid."

She copied Shisui's sigh. "Why?"

The question hadn't really been necessary, as Sakura could catch the gist of why Itachi preferred for things to work that way. That didn't mean she accepted his way of thinking, though – not in a million years would she accept that. Okay, she could understand the agony of losing your teammates and how it weighed down on you heavily, but that didn't mean you had to shut yourself off from forming bonds ever again.

From what she could gather from the other Itachi's memories, after the death of his genin team, he'd been suspicious of everyone and only had two absolutely precious people to him: Shisui and Sasuke. They were all that mattered. Even his childhood sweetheart (Izumi, Sakura believed her name to be) became unimportant to him and pushed aside, despite all her efforts of wriggling her way back into his life.

…For some odd reason, the thought of-

Oh, she was being ridiculous.

Just because the other Itachi had been involved with a different version of herself, it didn't mean she would become involved with _this_ Itachi. Still, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if there was an Izumi in this world too and whether or not she meant anything to this Itachi.

_It was none of her damn business, either way._

Before Shisui could answer her rhetorical question, Sakura then muttered, "Even if he's against it, I'm still going to make an effort to be friends with our team."

By her side, the Uchiha smiled a small, knowing smile. "You are changing the subject."

"That's because the subject is too random," she argued and looked away with a frown. "I've never given multiverse theory much thought."

"Neither did I," came his toneless reply. "However, circumstances change and force us to accept reality." Once more, her eyes met his and she swallowed at the serious expression on his features. "You and I both know that multiverse theory isn't just a theory."

"…How?"

The serious look faded, though didn't completely disappear as Shisui sighed and turned to face the cenotaph. "There are many ripple effects from changes in history, Sakura-san." There was a pause. "In that specific universe, I am dead."

She bit her lip and tried to smother the lump forming in her throat. "…So am I."

There hadn't been much time to digest the fact that she was dead in another universe. Sakura simply didn't know how she was supposed to feel about it. Scared? Sad? Was she supposed to cry? Or did she train harder to make sure that it never became a reality for her universe? The truth was, was that she didn't _want_ to think about it. It would surely drive her insane.

There was another sigh and she saw him shut his eyes, like there was suddenly an unbearable weight settling down on him. "It's as I suspected, then." When only silence met him, Shisui murmured, "He is watching over you."

"Since I was twelve."

"That you know of."

Oh, that felt a little creepy.

Why was she suddenly comfortable with discussing something like this with Shisui? Was it because of who he was in Itachi's memories? Somebody the latter respected greatly and highly admired, somebody he looked up to for guidance and support?

"This world's Itachi is like a kid brother to me," he told her and again opened his eyes. "And despite being from another version of this world, I am still able to notice things about _him_. He was always watching over your team, Sakura-san, but I never suspected that it was you he was protecting. I assumed it would be Sasuke."

So had she, in all honesty. As soon as she saw his Sharingan.

Wait…

"He told me something – this world's Itachi-san, I mean."

"Oh?"

Hesitantly, Sakura shifted in her position and tilted her head to the side, examining Shisui's eyes closely. "Your eyes are different from everybody else's."

As though her words were a cue, dark eyes faded into red and black, but the pattern didn't hold for long because it was suddenly spinning into a completely new design, one that seemed so incredibly intimidating.

"…Yeah, those," she whispered even though he hadn't breathed a word. Sitting back to put more space between them, Sakura then awkwardly stated, "Itachi-san told me that there is only one person, that your clan knows of, who possesses those eyes."

The unspoken question hung heavily in the air.

Shisui nodded once in agreement and shut off his Sharingan. "That is the truth."

"Does that mean… Itachi-san's eyes are…?"

He smirked at the uneasy words and sat back on his hands, becoming more at ease in her presence as the breeze picked up. They could smell the beginnings of cooking, most likely coming from the festival that would be starting in just under an hour's time. An hour after that, their Hokage would be making his entrance alongside his family.

"It would be a spectacular sight, but no. Itachi is not the one who possesses the Mangekyō."

"Then who-"

"These are clan secrets, Sakura-san," Shisui stated seriously, cutting her off. "This means I am unable to answer any further questions on the matter. Even I am not supposed to know of these things."

One of the Uchiha higher ups, then.

She couldn't help but wonder who it was.

"Come." He stood up and dusted off his clothing.

It was only at that moment that Sakura took notice of his uniform. Gone were the colours of their village's standard issue chunin uniform and in its place was the uniform that signified Shisui as a member of ANBU. The sight was appealing – that was something _nobody_ would be able to deny.

Copying him, Sakura also stood, though didn't need to clear her uniform of any dirt or grass, as she'd been crouching the entire time to avoid such a problem.

"We will be meeting at an earlier time today so that you can be given your mask."

* * *

It was a surprisingly comfortable uniform, Sakura found as she admired the sight of her arm guards. The black gloves beneath them reached way up her arms, clinging to her skin and her uniform was the same shade – well, besides her grey chest armour. That was all she had at that moment in time.

The sound of the door opening had her turning to face it, noticing out of the corner of her eye how Shisui's head raised fractionally at the same time. Until that moment, they had been waiting in the Hokage Tower, though not in a room that Sakura had originally thought existed. According to Shisui, it was where the Hokage's guard hid, as it was directly above the office, allowing them to listen in and keep an eye on their Hokage. On the blueprints, however, it didn't exist.

"Neji-san," she greeted with a smile.

He nodded once.

For some reason, they didn't have to wear their masks in this room and Sakura couldn't help but wonder why that was. Was there any particular reason, or did they simply allow themselves a moment of fresh air? It had to be stuffy breathing through those things all day long.

The next to arrive was Sai, who wisely kept a wide berth from her and sat down on one of the seats, almost immediately pulling out a sketchbook. There was no drawing, though. He was flipping through the pages, assessing his work with a critical eye.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, their captain arrived. He was in full gear, including his cloak. It was white, unlike their own, signifying him as the captain of their squadron. That was something that always confused her, too. Why would the captain want to stand out? Wouldn't that make them an even greater target?

His hand came to his hood, pulling it back and once his head was showing, Itachi moved his mask and rested it on the side of his head.

"Due to meeting earlier, we will be starting our watch over Hokage-sama momentarily," he informed them. "The previous team are currently reporting to him." His eyes moved over to Neji. "Hyuuga-san."

Sakura watched curiously as Neji approached Itachi, holding out a small pile that the latter accepted. She knew what was happening when Sai closed his sketchbook and Shisui stood up, all moving closer.

Itachi stepped in front of her, holding a porcelain mask in his hands.

"Welcome to the team, Sakura-san."

It was…

It was beautiful.

Clearly handcrafted and cared for dearly while being created, Sakura thought numbly as she looked it over. There were mixtures of colours that made her think of her previous team: red, pink and orange. It made the swirls and feline styled eyes and lips more… stunning. Almost like a cat's face, she decided as she identified the whiskers and once more, she was reminded of her teammates.

As always, however, there was an eeriness to the mask.

"Thank you," replied Sakura softly.

"These are also yours," Itachi told her and when she looked up, he was holding a folded black cloak which had a sheathed katana on top of it. "The katana is standard issued and you may replace it with one of your own, should you wish to."

He must have already done that, considering the fact that there was a special design on the handle of his katana. Perhaps the entire thing was completely unique, she just couldn't see it all since it was still on his back.

Instead of replying, Sakura smiled shyly as the cloak was taken from Itachi's hands and opened up, soon draped around her shoulders. The face in front of hers was calm and seemingly understanding that it was all a bit much for her.

"From what I've heard, you haven't had much practice with a katana," Shisui stated as he fastened her cloak for her. "Come and find me whenever and I'll teach you a couple of things."

Uchiha Shisui truly was as kind as the other Itachi's memories made him out to be and it broke her heart that such a devastating fate had been waiting for him.

"Thank you, Shisui-san."

He stepped away from her and Sakura noticed the way Itachi's eyes watched him move, waiting until he'd finished backing away before he looked back to her. "If there is anything you require, you are to come to me, Sakura-san. As your captain, I make it my duty to protect and help my team."

Oh no… Inside, she demanded her cheeks to stop burning, but it was impossible. It was like he was trying to one-up his own friend. Surely that wasn't right, though? It was a natural reaction to duck her head, to try and shield her cheeks from such an obvious display of… What, exactly? Somebody with an obvious alpha male problem?

"Yes, Taichou."

Most ANBU operatives – from what she'd seen of them – kept their katana on their backs, but she decided to take a note out of Sasuke's book and kept her own on her hip. It was easier to reach that way and it'd be easier to put back. Sure, it looked like nothing when other shinobi sheathed their katana, but it probably took so much practice to actually get it right.

Covering her katana with her cloak, Sakura took a noticeable deep breath. Her first ANBU mission and it was to protect the Hokage, no less. Naruto's father. The man who protected their entire village with his life, who was always looking out for his villagers.

She would not fail.

Once more, she looked to her mask. It was still eerie. Right now, however, that did not matter. What mattered was protecting their Hokage, so that he could continue fighting for and leading their village.

Sakura lifted it to her face and it was much simpler than she thought it would be to keep it in place.

The others followed her example as they all put their masks back on, soon covering the rest of their heads with the hoods of their cloak. It would be important to always keep her hair covered, Sakura reminded herself as she fixed the hood. Dying it was out of the question, but perhaps a strong henge like Tsunade's would be appropriate to use every so often.

There was a pause and during the silence, she found that they could hear everything from the office below them. Would they be watching him, too? And if so, then how?

"Sakura-san, your codename will be 'Neko', due to the style of your mask," Itachi told her. "My own is Kurō. Hyuuga-san's is Unmei. Shisui's is Furasshu. Sai-san's is Tora."

How fitting. Well, all except for Sai's – so far, that was.

"Our mission begins now."

* * *

"I still can't believe you sent Sakura-chan on a mission, Dad," exclaimed Naruto for what felt like the thousandth time. "You know this is her favourite part of the exams."

He'd been sulking since the minute he arrived, much to her annoyance. At the same time, though, Sakura felt her heart warming. More than anything, Naruto wanted her to be able to experience the festival, including the joy and the fun that came with it.

As soon as Minato told Naruto that she was on a mission in another village, caring for the sick, he'd more or less exploded with anger. Not the serious I'm-about-to-go-all-Kyuubi-on-you sort of anger, but the kind that was still equally as unwelcome. This anger made him more annoying than anything else, because all he did was sulk, repeatedly demand answers and glare at you.

They were stationed around the room, with her standing with one of her more experienced teammates, which just so happened to be Itachi. The others all had their own places in the shadows, hiding from the view of everyone else, whereas she and Itachi were in full view, always staying behind and flanking their Hokage.

"And why the hell are _they_ here?" Naruto then went on to demand in the same sulking tone, his hand lashing out in their direction. "We're not even at the festival yet."

_That damned brat_, Sakura repeated her shishou's words in her mind. Thankfully, her mask hid her upper lip curling in anger.

"_Uzumaki Naruto!"_

Took the words right out of her mouth, she thought with a sly smile as the doors to the office were kicked open, immediately showing the sight of an angered Uzumaki Kushina. As always, her rage was a spectacular sight.

Both blonds gulped.

Kushina stomped into the room, grinding her teeth and clenching her fists along the way until she was stood in front of her son, glaring down at him. "Don't speak to your father like that," she scolded him. "You may be a jonin now, but you're never too old to be punished by your mother, you know!"

As Sakura already knew he would, Naruto backed down within an instant, going back to his pouting and glaring.

The look of anger faded when the redhead looked over to the side and greeted her husband with a warm smile.

The tender look was returned tenfold.

Oh, they were making her so jealous. Rumour had it they were childhood sweethearts who were always joined at the hip. It didn't start out that way, but that wasn't the point. The point was that they made each other happy and they loved each other dearly. Whereas in her case, she was unable to go on a single date because of how busy she was between missions, training and work at the hospital. Oh and now she was an ANBU operative, which was obviously going to make things so much easier for her… Not.

"Can we just go already?" whined Naruto from behind his mother. He was grimacing in response to their love-filled expressions. "It's bad enough you sent Sakura-chan away, Dad. Don't make me miss everyone else, too."

_Idiot!_ Sakura inwardly snapped. _Talk about ruining the moment!_

But Minato only sighed and offered his wife an apologetic smile, before then looking to Itachi. "Kurō-san, is your squadron ready?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Due to his voice being slightly muffled by the mask, it was surprisingly difficult to tell who it was. That was good, though, she supposed. It meant Naruto wouldn't figure out their identities. If it was Sasuke, on the other hand, Itachi would probably have to stay silent in order to go unrecognised. It wouldn't take the younger brother long to connect the dots.

They moved when he did, making sure to continue flanking their Hokage even as he walked down the halls with his family, conversing with each other like they weren't even there. Sakura couldn't even tell whether or not the others were also following, but she knew they would be and that they'd be fairly close.

The festival itself was as spectacular as it always was – seemingly more so this year, since she wasn't allowed to participate. It was sad knowing that she couldn't join in, especially as Naruto rushed off after their entry and joined their friends, but Sakura forced herself to ignore the jealousy she felt.

Minato and Kushina stayed close together throughout the festival, their fingers linked as they walked through the crowds as though they were just an average couple, instead of being the Hokage and his jinchūriki wife. If it weren't for people smiling and greeting them with the added honorifics, they would have passed as a normal couple, too. Sakura almost felt like she was putting a downer on the mood, like she and Itachi were just one huge third wheel.

What made it worse was the fact that they couldn't talk. They were stood around watching all the fun without being able to utter a single word. There were so many restrictions on what ANBU operatives could do while hiding behind their masks and it never really occurred to her until now. Where they looked was just one of many things, which probably sounded so ridiculous, but they had to appear as professional, meaning they couldn't be looking around like an eager child.

"_Suna-nin have been spotted_," came Sai's hushed tones through their earpieces. "_Should I contact another team to shadow them, __Kurō__-taichou?"_

"_No_."

It startled her how she didn't hear his voice despite being stood beside him. There was no muffling or quiet hushes. There was nothing. Just his calm voice coming through her earpiece. How was that possible?

Should she test it?

Sakura bit her lip.

There was only one way to find out, really.

"Why not?"

The blond head in front of them tilted to the side, hair shifting from his blue eyes. It felt like direct eye contact, even though Minato couldn't possibly be able to see through the eye holes of her mask.

She wasn't doing it right.

"_Neko-chan, there is a small button behind the mouth of your mask,"_ Shisui's voice sounded amused, much to her embarrassment. "_You can probably press it with your tongue."_

How rude.

But…

Very true, Sakura found out.

"_Thanks, Furasshu-san."_

As though the past ten seconds hadn't happened, Itachi then murmured, "_They will have highly skilled jonin accompanying the genin. Not all teams are skilled enough to mask their presence and with the treaty being as unstable as it currently is, we cannot risk anything. Even something as small as shadowing a team of theirs._"

That was another reason why she was the one flanking Minato and not somebody as experienced as Shisui – Sakura accepted it, too. She wasn't as greatly skilled at masking her presence as the others. It would take some practising.

Realising that it wasn't anything serious, Minato went back to his evening with his wife.

* * *

Dull.

Who would have thought that an ANBU mission would be so _boring?_ Sakura fought back the urge to yawn, but it was a losing battle for the simple fact of thinking about it. She was so grateful for the button that muted whatever noise she made and the fact that the mask covered her obviously unattractive expression.

"_Tired, Neko-chan?"_

The teasing voice had her smiling (and feeling rather embarrassed for leaving her microphone on) and saying in reply, "_No, just bored, Furasshu-san. I didn't think being a member of ANBU would be so boring."_

"_Be grateful,"_ this time, it was Neji who replied. "_There are worse missions that we could have been given."_

Yes, Sakura supposed that was true and she found herself feeling ashamed of her words. How could she be so selfish? "_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like-"_

"_Like you're a bloodthirsty hag?"_

Oh she was really beginning to dislike Sai – intensely dislike him, in fact.

"_Tora-kun,"_ Itachi spoke seriously, in a no nonsense tone that had her straightening up ever so slightly, "_please keep your insults to yourself."_

* * *

At least it was winding down now.

Well, kind of. The fireworks were ending, slowly coming to an end with the smaller, less extravagant colours and patterns. The main show of fireworks had been spectacular to say the least and her heart was still racing from the adrenaline of all the loud bangs.

And once more, Sakura found herself feeling incredibly jealous due to the fact that she was still watching over Minato and Kushina. They were so loved up and not in the 'all over each other' kind of way. It was a harmless, completely innocent way and it made things so much worse. It was like they saw only each other, even after being together for such a long time.

Everything was quietening down and becoming more gentle, more… intimate.

The turning of Minato's head caught her attention again, forcing Sakura to straighten up and the way he smiled at her had her blushing. It was a teasing smile, like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

He was saying something to Kushina, who smiled softly up at him and nodded her head.

Only a few moments later and Minato was making his way over to them, signalling with his free hand for the other three to approach from their hiding spaces.

"Hokage-sama," Itachi lowered his head in respect.

"I have an order for you."

Like she had only seconds ago, Itachi straightened up, standing before their Hokage proudly. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Go." Minato smiled as Kakashi and Obito approached him. "Enjoy yourselves for the remainder of the festival."

Her heart leapt up into her throat and it took everything within her _not_ to yell her thanks.

"Hokage-sama, we-"

"You asked to see us, Sensei?"

The lazy drawl of her former sensei had Sakura biting back her grin, wondering how long it would take him to figure out she was the one behind the mask. Already, Kakashi knew that she had been promoted to ANBU, but he wouldn't know what team or what her mask would look like.

"Yes," replied Minato, looking to his former students. "I would like for you both to stay by my side until Kushina and I return home."

Obito sighed, though nodded once. "Rin's just been called into the hospital to assist in a surgery anyway."

"Actually, I have a book that is wait-"

The blond deadpanned and cut Kakashi off. "_Icha Icha_ will still be there in a few hours, Kakashi."

He sighed dramatically. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

And then, much to her surprise, when his eye lifted from being lowered to the ground with his mock sadness, a brief smirk creased the corner of his eye when they met with hers. Could he tell that it was her? It honestly wouldn't surprise Sakura in the least – as far as she could tell, there wasn't anything he didn't know. There was probably a list of all ANBU masks in his head and who they were assigned to. That or he could pick up on her shampoo or body wash.

"Dismissed."

She almost missed the dismissal.

* * *

_Home sweet home._

Sakura stared down at her mask, her fingers lightly tracing the twirls and whiskers. It was still strange thinking of the mask as hers, as being a member of ANBU was something she'd never really anticipated.

A floorboard to her left creaked.

She didn't even flinch and instead smiled softly. "I was wondering how long it would take you to come here."

The man standing beside her open window stepped further into the bedroom after shutting it, closing the distance between them and taking the mask when it was held out to him. Sakura couldn't help but hold her breath as he assessed it, as he took in its meaning and what it meant for her.

He shut his red and black eyes.

Before he had, she could have sworn that she saw the look of pain in them.

"Do not let this change you, Sakura," he all but whispered to her. "Your light is too bright to allow something such as this to blow it out."

"I have no intention of letting that happen."

Turning, she reached for the lamp and switched it on, finally bringing light to her bedroom. There hadn't been much point switching the rest of the lights in her apartment on, because Sakura knew where everything was placed and what furniture to avoid on her journey to the bedroom. As for trips to the bathroom, the light in there was always left on, so there was no worrying about any accidents.

Her room was simple, yet still obviously feminine in the way it was designed colour-wise. Pastel shades made it appear larger than it actually was, helping her to feel like the room _wasn't_ closing in on her when it all became too much.

That didn't happen often – when she would feel like the world around her was collapsing. It was mostly after Ino's death, but also if there was a problem during her shifts at the hospital, because most problems meant death. It always felt like a humongous failure whenever one of her patients died. They put their lives in her hands, trusting her completely to bring them back to health and-

It would do no good to focus on negativity. "Shisui-san knows of you – _this _version, I mean."

There were no hesitant pauses or breaks. The reply was instant, blunt. "He does."

The sound of him sighing reached her ears and when Sakura glanced upwards to see him placing down her mask and rubbing his eyes, she gently guided him over towards her bed, sitting him down on the edge of it. She remained standing, still remembering his previous warnings about pushing too much. It was obvious he had loved _his_ Sakura dearly and was one hundred percent loyal to her, even after her death.

"How?"

"I was weak," he told her quietly. "I was seeing my most precious friend after many years of agonising over his sacrifice for our village and to this day, it still pains me. Seeing that he was about to fall onto that same path pushed me into changing his fate. I could not allow Shisui to die again. He is somebody who deserves to live and enjoy his life to the full. My friend did not have that chance."

That was what he meant by being weak. Instead of changing history for a better outcome of the future, Itachi had changed it for his own personal (and somewhat selfish) reasons.

"But… You said there are ripple effects," Sakura stated and frowned. "For somebody to live, somebody else-"

"The night I saved Shisui is the night Danzo died by my own hands."

In their records, how Danzo died was a complete mystery that even now remained unsolved. Knowing that the answer to that mystery was sitting by her side kind of excited Sakura, because she felt like she was being let in on a huge secret.

"In my own timeline, Danzo manipulated both Shisui and myself into believing we had to betray our clan in order to protect the village. After he had stolen Shisui's eye, Shisui committed suicide in order to keep what had happened to him, from being found out." Itachi once more sighed, though this one sounded heavier, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Had the clan found out what Danzo had done, they would have demanded retribution. As you already know, Shisui is one of our most powerful clansmen and he is highly respected. In order to keep the bloodshed to a minimum, Shisui committed suicide in a way that made it impossible for anyone to find his remains."

Of course, she already knew of Shisui's original fate. It didn't make hearing of it any less painful, though. "That's so unfair."

"There is no such thing as 'fair' in the shinobi world, Sakura."

"So how did Shisui-san find out? Did you just approach him one day with the news of his impending death?"

It sounded more sarcastic than she'd meant it to, but thankfully, Itachi did not take any offence. "I showed him my memories." There was a brief pause. "All of them."

Her eyes went wide. "Even…?"

He smiled minutely. "Even the memories of the other version of yourself."

"That's not fair!" Damn, Sakura hadn't meant to stamp her foot, but it seriously wasn't fair. "Why can't I see them?" she whined, throwing herself backwards onto the bed with a huff. "It's not like it's going to change how I see _this_ Itachi-san."

By her side, Itachi chuckled softly and stood, turning to face her. "Be persistent, Sakura," he told her with a gentle smile. "Your persistence and determination will be what forces him to look at you."

"What?" She sat up and frowned again. Annoyance was beginning to claw at her, as was impatience. "What makes you think he'll feel the same way as you do?" Sakura couldn't help but demand and against her thighs, her fists clenched tightly. "What if you're telling me all these things and it turns out he's already in love with someone else? What happens then, huh?"

The patient expression on his face didn't falter for a second. Itachi watched her silently during her rant, almost like he'd been expecting it, before reaching down and threading his fingers through her hair, surprising Sakura enough to make some of her anger fade away.

"Do not underestimate the feelings of an Uchiha, Sakura," he told her softly. "It has been said many times before that nobody cherishes love more than the Uchiha Clan."

"That doesn't answer my question, Itachi."

He smiled and it was such a beautiful, heart-warming smile that took her breath away.

"How could he not fall in love with you?" Itachi asked her rhetorically. "You are the one who will make his life worth living again, instead of merely going through the motions."

"Itachi…"

His smile drifted away slowly and as it did, he pulled away, murmuring, "I must go."

The walls were going back up, she realised and a desperation painfully dug its claws into her.

"Wait-"

"Don't give up on him, Sakura." Itachi turned towards the window, opening it once more. "He is not the person he pretends to be for the sake of appearances."

Before she could even think of a reply, he slipped out into the night, leaving her half-standing from the bed, reaching out to him.

"But what if _I_ can't fall in love with _him_?" Sakura whispered, falling back onto the bed.


	18. I Am Stronger!

**Chapter 18**

**I Am Stronger!**

* * *

Much to her surprise, even while travelling at such a high speed, Itachi's arm reached out, snatching up the cat from its place on the branch, clinging for dear life, all without breaking stride. There was some struggling, but overall, he managed to subdue the cat by holding it close to his chest with both arms, refusing to be shaken by the explosions following them from behind.

Sakura glanced over her shoulder and gritted her teeth, quickly turning and returning fire with her own set of paper bombs while in mid-leap between the trees.

"_Keep moving, Neko!_" Shisui ordered.

She obeyed his order instantly and fell back into place behind Itachi. In his arms, Sakura could see the cat shaking and could hear it howling in fear, but not once did the Uchiha falter, even though she could clearly see blood trickling down his biceps in response to the cat's claws.

It was… admirable that he would save an animal while also trying to save his own life and complete their latest mission.

Four months had flown by since her promotion to ANBU and they were definitely the most difficult four months of her life so far. They'd had missions varying from protecting the Hokage, to escorting delegates back to their villages, to the average retrieval mission and now to this: their first assassination.

But now Sakura was beginning to think that _maybe_ Team Seven's bad luck on missions had followed her to her new team.

Training with her ANBU squad was infuriating because of Sai, who constantly felt the need to comment on her ugliness and faults, until either Shisui or Itachi told him – in their own polite ways – to shut the hell up, which would then lead to him asking them invasive questions about their feelings towards her. They always ignored said questions, of course, acting as though Sai hadn't uttered a word, but it was still uncomfortable – for her, at least.

Adding the fact that her boys were growing more and more impatient about her absence made it all the more difficult. How long was she going to be able to keep up her lies? It would only be so long before one of them realised she wasn't actually at the hospital, or maybe Naruto would demand that his father stopped sending her on missions with other teams, because Team Seven needed her.

Under her breath, Sakura tutted.

Like that was ever going to happen.

"_Platoon up ahead,"_ came Neji's calm warning. "_Our target is amongst them."_

"_How far?"_ Itachi questioned.

"_Four miles."_

Amazing. He really had improved since their genin days, hadn't he? Sakura could remember Hinata telling her once that Neji could see up to a whole mile away without even trying. Now, he seemed completely at ease with looking four miles ahead of himself and during their training, he told her he could see anything within eight miles. How was that even possible? Then again, Hyuuga Neji, despite being a branch member of the clan, was the Hyuuga's greatest prodigy so far. There had yet to be another Hyuuga to surpass him.

Going over such facts put her mind at ease for the time being.

This was going to be her first assassination mission.

Sure, it wouldn't be the first time she had killed someone, or the first time witnessing a death (as sad as it was to admit such a thing), but it would be the first time she was ordered to do so. All previous missions had been dead _or_ alive, whereas now it was simply _dead_.

_Eliminate the threat._

_No questions asked._

But it had to be done, didn't it? For the sake of the village. For all of the children playing innocently, or the elderly people who merely wished for a life of peace. They had to fight to protect them. They had to kill to protect them.

It was such a warped way of thinking, wasn't it?

"_Incoming,"_ Itachi warned them.

Just as he was about to turn, Sakura did so first, jokingly murmuring in reply, "_Take care of your pet, __Kurō__-taichou."_

It was with ease that she caught the kunai, whirling it around her index finger before throwing it with enhanced strength back at the attacker. He just barely dodged it, watching over his shoulder as it slammed its way through the tree, breaking through it with ease as it did so.

Another three enemies joined him.

Much to her happiness, none of her teammates came rushing to her side like her boys in Team Seven would have. Even while fleeing, they kept an eye on one another, watching to make sure she would be able to handle herself, but none of them assumed that she was going to fail.

It was such an encouragement.

It motivated her to not screw up or disappoint them.

She threw her hands out in front of herself, confusing her enemies greatly when only three of her fingers on each hand clenched into a fist, leaving her index fingers extended and her thumbs sticking upwards.

They caught on too late.

Bullets made of water were being fired at them from her fingertips with untraceable speed and Sakura was once more gritting her teeth as she fired shot after shot, aiming straight for their hearts and heads. It took a hell of a lot more concentration than one would think, since she had only just learned the jutsu.

It was a gruesome sight, but she refused to focus on it and instead turned back to her team once they were defeated, picking up speed so that she would be side by side with them once more.

"_Two miles,_" Neji informed them.

"_Do not pause when we arrive,"_ he ordered. "_Attack immediately and reveal no openings."_ And then, much to her surprise, Itachi shifted the cat onto his shoulder, stroking its head as he murmured, "_Stay with me and I will protect you."_

Who would have thought that Uchiha Itachi was such an animal lover? Enough so that he would actually talk to an animal. If it was an animal like Akamaru, or one of Kakashi's ninken, then Sakura would understand, because they could reply (even if it was only their master who could understand them). But the cat was feral, meaning it was obviously untrained, therefore wouldn't be able to.

Maybe it _could_ understand, though?

Only time would tell.

She watched in awe as Itachi leapt into the air suddenly, spinning his body in order to dodge the thrown shuriken and keeping the cat on his shoulder by keeping his hand on it.

He was serious about saving the cat.

It was heart-warming.

Clenching her fist and smirking, Sakura decided that she would help protect the cat. Everyone deserved a shot at life, even animals, so she would stand by Itachi's side and make damn sure that cat got the best life it could ever possibly have.

Pushing off a branch and flipping into the air, she spread her arms out, releasing a barrage of shuriken that attacked mercilessly. They dodged them effortlessly, but that wasn't too bothersome, because only seconds later and the shuriken were surrounding them completely, embedded into the soil.

Sakura raised her fingers into a single seal and breathed, "_Katsu_!"

_That_ had taken a while to perfect and even now, it was shaky, though good enough to use while on a mission. The shuriken had the seals which were usually found on paper tags engraved onto them and when they were used correctly, they managed to herd her enemy like they were cattle, leading them into a false sense of security before the explosions would be set off.

But now wasn't the time to be gloating!

Sai was outnumbered and they were closing in on him. He was fighting valiantly with his tantō and he was managing to take a few of them out, but he wasn't able to create the distance he needed in order to grab his scroll and pens.

"_Tora-kun,"_ Shisui warned as he grabbed an opponent's leg and launched him across the clearing, "_watch out for the-"_

She could tell what was about to happen and before the katana could slam into her teammate, Sakura appeared in front of him and caught the blade between her hands, already healing the damage it caused when it sliced through her gloves and fingers without making a single hand sign. It was mere millimetres from going straight through her abdomen, but she refused to focus on that fact.

"Don't even think about it, you bastard," she snarled.

The space between them flickered for a split second before a body appeared out of seemingly nowhere, spinning once and landing a firm kick to the guy's chest.

Shisui was gone not even a fraction of a second later.

_How was it even possible to move so quickly?_

This was their first battle as a team, Sakura realised and she was also pleasantly surprised to find that she was holding her own rather well. Despite the constant flow of back-to-back missions, not once had they been confronted or ambushed. Their missions usually went swimmingly without a single hitch until now. Really, they'd been anticipating an attack and prepared themselves for it – but they did that at the start of every mission.

Dropping the katana that was still in her hands, she dashed across the clearing and clenched her fist. Due to not being able to see her features, and the fact that Sakura had placed a henge over her hair (she was now a brunette for the duration of her missions), her enemy wasn't expecting the power behind her punch. The poor guy couldn't even scream in agony as her fist shattered the bones in his hand before she brought the left one down on him, ending his life with the blow.

_Cleaner_, Sakura scolded herself while trying not to cringe at her now blood soaked, torn glove.

Now wasn't the time to worry about it, however, and so she focused on her surroundings, running towards the closest group.

A barrage of kunai hurtled towards her at frightening speed and for a split second, Sakura was certain that she wouldn't be able to dodge – wouldn't have, if it weren't for her teammate.

"_Hakkeshō Kaiten!"_

She easily recognised the move as one he'd used during their first chunin exams, when he'd been up against Naruto in the final part, so knew to stay still for the duration of it. It was breathtaking to see it up close, though. Once Neji finished spinning, he looked over his shoulder at her (Sakura guessed that he was checking to make sure she was unharmed), before nodding once and sprinting towards the ones who had thrown the kunai.

Without a thought, Sakura joined him in his assault, following in Neji's footsteps by doing her best to end each battle as quickly as possible with a single blow. It worked mostly, but in some cases, it was nearly impossible. Now that they'd seen what she had done to their comrade, the enemy were wary of close range battle against her.

She made it close to impossible for them to create any distance between them.

In each of her hands, different versions of the chakra scalpel suddenly formed and without allowing herself to think about it, Sakura swung, causing the blades to slash at her enemies. The difference between the chakra scalpel and her chakra blades was that the former didn't damage the muscle or pierce anything vital – the main reason why it was used in surgery.

Her blades, however…

Blood spurted from the wounds uncontrollably as major arteries were severed brutally and the others who were attacked, dropped lifelessly to the ground as their hearts were pierced. It went against everything she believed in, but it was the life of a shinobi who was loyal to their village.

_She had to protect Konoha!_

Turning her head to the side at the sound of a grunt, Sakura gasped in horror as Sai was caught by a thrown kunai while distracted with the task of dispatching those who were attacking him.

_Main priority while on missions._

Even though she could fight by their sides, she was a medic first.

It was after exchanging a nod with Neji that Sakura shot off to Sai, leaving the Hyuuga to finish off the enemies. Her chakra blades were held out firmly by her sides, slashing at those who dared to try and stop her from healing her teammate.

"_Just relax, Tora-san,_" she told him softly once she reached him and released her chakra blades. "_I'm going to heal you."_

Her hands came to his side, pressing lightly and soon glowing green with healing chakra. All the while he continued to draw his beasts, bringing them to life and sending them out, ordering them to fight for him.

"_Make sure you kill them, Neko,"_ Sai reprimanded her. "_Some of the ones you have already defeated are getting back up. Do not have a soft heart."_

In her defence, this was her first assassination mission. Sure, it didn't seem any different from an average mission with Team Seven, but it _was_. Never before had she ever been on an assassination mission.

Rage swelled within her as she took note of those still fighting on the battlefield.

It was _him._

_Even after she warned him not to!_

"_I will be fine now,_" Sai told her. "_Go back to the fight."_

Oh, he didn't need to tell her twice.

She knew exactly who she was going for first, as well.

Mere seconds later and Sakura was charging forward, ignoring those who were chasing after her as she closed in on the guy. This was the one who had stabbed Sai. It was a lucky shot, anybody could tell you that, but it still didn't change the fact that he had gone after Sai a second time.

Hands grabbed at her, forcefully trying to stop her.

The man locked eyes with her mask, grinning sadistically as he realised now was his chance.

He darted forward to meet her.

"_Neko!_"

Despite the men holding her back, dragging her downwards, Sakura growled through her gritted her teeth and stretched her arm forward as much as she could, fighting their restraints as she pushed and pushed.

Her finger pressed to his forehead, keeping him still and immobilising him and for a split second, there was silence as everything else to came to a stop around them.

And then…

"I told you not to think about it," Sakura growled through her pants for breath.

Before he could even react, she pulled her finger away, only to flick his forehead with as much chakra as possible.

His body was flung backwards ruthlessly, crashing into the ground until he bounced back up, slamming into the tree and it was obvious in the way he fell to the ground once more that he would not be getting back up.

Suddenly, those holding her loosened their restraints, their hands twitching momentarily before disappearing altogether.

"_Are you hurt?"_

The voice stunned her, but Sakura tried her best not to let it show. "_No."_

In front of her, Itachi nodded once, accepting her answer. The cat on his shoulder looked terrified beyond belief, clinging onto his shoulder desperately and its tail almost at a width of four inches, but he didn't seem to notice or mind.

"_Are you?"_ she asked softly after a pause. "_Your shoulder…"_

His head tilted to the side and she could see the eerie glow of his Sharingan as Itachi took in the sight of the cat, his hand soon coming up to give it a reassuring stroke on the head. "_No, I'm fine."_

She didn't want to admit it, but despite not even being able to see his face, Sakura found the whole thing adorable.

The moment was shattered by Itachi suddenly spinning, deflecting a large number of shuriken by throwing some of his own, lowering himself slightly and shifting in order to keep her from being struck.

On the other end of the battlefield, everyone stopped moving, confusing Sakura greatly as she glanced over to them. A second later and they were dropping to the ground lifelessly, followed instantly by a blur of movement flashing around them all, leaving nothing more than slit throats in his wake.

Shisui.

It had to be.

It was crazy to think that it was just one person, though. One person had taken out over half of their enemies in one sweep. It didn't matter that he was _Shunshin no Shisui_, it was still terrifying.

"_The battle is over now,_" Itachi informed her even while he was still deflecting and throwing shuriken. "_Check that our teammates are uninjured, Neko-san and then join Tora-kun in watching over the target."_

"_Yes, Taichou."_

* * *

It wasn't a pretty sight.

The clearing was absolutely destroyed – for once not because of her strength. This time it was destroyed by the stains of blood and dead bodies littering the ground and the sight horrified her.

By her side stood Sai and in front of them was the target.

What horrified her even more than the sight of the clearing was the knowledge of what was about to happen next. She'd seen the mission scroll and had listened to Itachi explain their mission to them, but it was still difficult. Watching as Itachi stepped before the man, towering over him since the latter was being forced to kneel…

She didn't argue, though. Standing tall with her back ramrod straight, Sakura tried to ignore the man pleading for his life. He seemed no older than eighteen, possibly even nineteen and she couldn't help but think that it was such a waste of life. However, because this was a mission and it was to protect Konoha, she remained quiet, even when a sob threatened to shake her body and her eyes burned viciously.

"N-No, no please," the man begged helplessly. "Please, I can't help it. My clan implant-"

Blood splattered to the ground behind the man as Itachi's katana slammed its way through his body and she tried to ignore the feeling of it on her pants and sandals.

A single tear slipped silently down her cheek, hidden by her mask.

"Mission complete," stated Itachi tonelessly to the team.

She turned away and collected her katana from across the clearing, ignoring her team as they set about destroying all evidence of their presence.

* * *

The relief of reaching an inn and finally having some time to herself almost overwhelmed her.

All Sakura wanted to do was scrub away all of the blood and the grime from her latest mission. She felt filthy. In a way, she felt corrupted. She had taken lives before both intentionally and unintentionally, but this… was way different. The target hadn't done anything wrong. He was a victim to his clan's practices. It was because of that, however, that he'd been listed as a potential threat to Konoha. It was because of that, that he'd been assassinated.

She had her own room in the inn, thankfully. It gave her the space she needed to think things through carefully. Now that there was no adrenaline rushing through her veins, Sakura was able to think it through fully.

They had taken somebody's life for something they couldn't even help. It was like killing Naruto or his mother, Kushina, because they were jinchūriki. Tears filled her eyes no matter how hard she tried to fight them.

With her bath filling, Sakura left the bathroom and walked over to the bed, releasing her belongings from a scroll. There was a pile of pyjamas, clothing and clean underwear and beside them, a heavy looking textbook she had borrowed from Tsunade along with her toiletries. She placed the book onto the bedside table and took a deep breath, willing the traitorous sobs that were building to leave her alone. Despite being in her own room, it wasn't exactly private enough for an emotional breakdown. Sakura knew she would feel much more comfortable in her own home, where she didn't have to answer to anyone.

A knock on her door caused her to jolt.

"Just give me a minute," Sakura demanded quietly.

The shake in her voice must have been obvious, because after a brief pause the door opened. It pissed her off more than anything and Sakura knew she had every right to feel that way. She needed privacy to accept what had happened earlier that day.

Uchiha Itachi's presence was not going to be of any help to her.

So she lost her temper the moment she saw his face, the moment he shut the door behind himself and regarded her silently.

"I said give me a goddamn minute," she shrieked, her hand grabbing the medical book beside her bed and throwing it with everything she had.

Before it could even leave her hand, another was circling around her wrist, stopping the movement and between them, the heavy book fell to the ground with a loud thud. There was nothing she could do but look up at him helplessly, her tears from moments ago soon slipping down her cheeks at the look on his face.

_Understanding._

He knew that it was her first assassination mission.

And it stunned Sakura when his eyes dropped from hers, shutting completely as he sighed. It wasn't a sigh of disappointment or annoyance. She couldn't tell what it was, but it certainly wasn't anything aimed at her. Was he angry with himself, maybe?

As if her previous surprise wasn't enough, long fingers ran through her hair, pulling her head forward and resting it on his chest.

"Forgive me, Sakura-san," he whispered and she could feel his breath tickling across her scalp.

Her throat tightened.

"It's not…" Her hands tangled in his shirt, desperate for something to cling on to. "It's not your fault. You were completing the… mission."

Itachi shook his head. "I am not apologising for the mission. I am apologising for bringing you into this part of the world – the dark part." She felt him hesitating but a second later, his hand came back to the back of her head, his fingers running softly through her hair. "You shine too brightly for a world so dark."

"That makes no sense," Sakura chuckled through her tears.

He sighed. "I do not want your light to dim."

_"Do not let this change you, Sakura," he all but whispered to her. "Your light is too bright to allow something such as this to blow it out."_

It was impossible holding back her sob, though she had to admit she was proud of herself for muffling it as best as she possibly could. In response, his other arm came around her, holding her gently and allowing her to cry out all the pain that was festering inside of her.

Why did the comfort he was giving to her make her want to cry even harder? Sakura's shoulders shook and her face scrunched up, though it was thankfully buried into Itachi's chest so he didn't have to look at the unattractive sight.

"Forgive me," he repeated quietly into her hair.

It was the first time _this_ version of Uchiha Itachi had ever opened up to her. Okay, so he wasn't exactly opening up to her, but he was definitely showing her a more vulnerable version of himself. Part of Sakura refused to believe what was happening, telling her that it was the other Itachi – it had to be.

_Was it?_

Her fingers twisted in his shirt and she paused, her green eyes slowly drifting upwards and clashing with dark. They were calm, patient and understanding. Unlike every other time they spoke, Itachi's eyes were not cold and there didn't seem to be any walls surrounding him.

_It wasn't the other Itachi, though._

This Itachi was younger, appearing a lot less stressed than the other one. His tear troughs weren't half as pronounced as the other's and there were no fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. As well as this, his bangs weren't nearly as long and just about reached his chin in length.

This was her…

No.

She shut her eyes and sighed. He may be of the same timeline, but he wasn't _her_ Itachi.

Still, Sakura couldn't stop from reaching out curiously and pushing his hair back once her eyes reopened, admiring the differences between the two of them. The other Itachi's horrors showed in his eyes when he wasn't fiercely guarding his emotions. This Itachi… wasn't nearly as haunted. He didn't question her actions, instead leaning closer and allowing her to continue her silent examination of his features. Surely he had to have some questions as to what the hell was happening, but if he did, then they were left unvoiced. Unlike the other Itachi, he didn't seem to mind her attention.

Their eyelashes were the same length, she realised when her fingers gently ran down the sides of his face and they were just as dark, framing their beautifully dark eyes in a way that accentuated the exotic slant of them.

Same cheekbones… Same nose… Same… lips…

Apparently the way she was examining his face must have come across as something else, because the next thing she knew, his lips were descending to hers.

She didn't stop him and instead met him halfway, pulling his face closer.

The kiss was short and sweet. Gentle and comforting. The softness of his lips were warm as they moved against hers, soothing her pain and sorrow enough for Sakura to melt into the kiss, to press her forehead against his when it ended. Her eyes remained shut, feeling far too peaceful in that moment to return to reality and the fact that she had just made a major no-no.

She had just kissed her captain.

* * *

It was best to forget about the kiss.

In a moment of raw pain, his teammate had needed comforting. For some reason that he could not explain as of yet, Itachi had gone a step further in comforting her, stepping out of his own comfort zone to do so. Kissing her had never been a part of the plan.

When he'd entered the room she was staying in without permission, he had been intending on comforting her, since he could tell that their mission had affected her greatly. How things had gone so far, Itachi couldn't fully understand it. All he saw was someone who was falling, someone who's once brilliantly shining light, beginning to flicker dangerously.

No matter what, that could not happen.

There was something warm about Haruno Sakura. Something that pulled him in. She was different from other women and even though Itachi knew for a fact that it hadn't always been that way, he still admired that quality about her.

Something had hardened her and he wondered what it was.

Not too long ago, Sasuke had confided in him about Sakura's mental health – no, not entirely mental. Was it emotional? Either way, something major had happened that caused everyone around her to be hugely concerned about her.

What was it?

Glancing over his shoulder as he parted ways with his team, Itachi thought it over.

"I have to admit," Shisui commented lightly as they made their way towards the district. "Sakura-san has improved vastly in the past three years. Wouldn't you say, Itachi?"

He nodded once. It was why he had gone as far as to tell their Hokage he was wasting her talents by leaving her where she was, with a team who wouldn't let her get involved during missions, despite the fact she was more than capable. "Indeed."

"It's not surprising that death still affects her, though."

A death? "Oh?"

Shisui glanced at him with a look Itachi couldn't explain. "Don't you pay any attention to what is going on around you, Itachi? The entire village was talking about it for months."

Listening in on the latest gossip wasn't something he enjoyed doing, so no, Itachi _hadn't_ been paying attention to whoever they were tearing to shreds this time. That was how it always was, after all. Even if it was something positive that was going around the village, there would still be a few who would tear it to pieces with negativity and it was something Itachi didn't have time for. There was already too much negativity in their world.

"You remember that mission Sasuke's team was sent on? The one with Team Ten?" When Itachi nodded, he continued, "Not all of them returned. During that mission, Sakura-san's friend – and from what I have heard, her rival, too – died."

Yes, he could remember now. Sasuke had been torn on what to do. He had little to no experience in such an area, other than the time he had unknowingly comforted his older brother when he had lost his comrades and first bonds.

If he was remembering correctly, then Sasuke had been struggling on finding a way of reaching out to Sakura. She wouldn't leave her home, instead locking herself inside of her bedroom and not answering to any of her friends. The grieving process was stunted several times by one of Yamanaka's teammates, who unfairly blamed Sakura for the blonde's death. He could remember having to talk his brother down from attacking the guy, because every time Sakura stood back up, he would be there to knock her down again. What was his name again? It was Shikaku's son, if Itachi wasn't mistaken. Minato had promoted him to ANBU not long after Yamanaka's death, wanting to keep the Nara busy and more than likely wanting to keep him away from Sakura. The last thing their Hokage needed was hatred brewing amongst his villagers.

"She has grown from it," Itachi stated.

"She has," the older Uchiha agreed with a nod. Then, he frowned minutely for a moment and looked to the other's shoulder. "Where did the cat go?"

"He is around," he replied lightly.

After arriving at the village, Itachi had allowed the cat to find its own way around after a young child from his clan had taken a liking to it. The child was from a poorer family within their clan, but he was trustworthy and like any ordinary child, was wishing for a friend to play with. He had no doubt he would see the cat sooner or later.

"_Itachi-kun!"_

They both looked over in the direction of the voice, watching as a brunette jogged over to them. She was smiling warmly and waving, welcoming him back before she had even approached him and said the words.

"Izumi," he greeted.

"I will speak with you later, Itachi," Shisui told him and turned, walking away without another word.

"You're always away on missions now." Izumi pouted and joined him in his short journey back to his home, walking by his side with occasional glances up at him. It had always been that way with her. "I feel like I never get to see you."

It had been that way for years now, so why was it bothering her now? Sometimes they would go weeks, possibly even months, without communication.

When he didn't reply, she sighed. "I haven't had the chance to speak to you since the festival, Itachi-kun. The least you can do is _try_ and hold a conversation with me."

He held back his own sigh. Really, all Itachi wanted was to go home and shower. The kiss he had shared with Sakura needed to be pushed to the back of his mind, along with the implications surrounding it. His team was benefiting greatly from her presence and skills and he would not allow a single kiss to ruin that.

"What would you like to talk about?"

This seemed to brighten her dampening mood, because Izumi suddenly smiled brightly. "How about we go for something to eat later? Maybe…" The bright smile became sly as she leaned in closer, "dango?"

His attention was caught. As it always was. Itachi's eyes languidly swept down to hers, taking in her features. She was a beautiful woman, he supposed and would possibly give whoever married her beautiful and powerful children. Personally, however, he never really took much notice in her beauty. It was too obvious.

Most Uchiha women dressed in a way that was reserved, but lately, Itachi had noticed how Izumi's yukatas would reveal too much skin – gradually showing more as the days went by. Then again, her parents had died many years ago, so they weren't around to show her how to dress properly. To tell her himself would be inappropriate. Surely she noticed the disapproving looks the older women sent her way, though? It was one thing to dress more… provocatively in mission attire and they understood why it was sometimes necessary. But in the district? Where they were all constantly judging one another?

"Allow me to return home and wash up, then I will meet you at the usual place."

She grinned and made the victory sign. "I _knew_ that would give me your attention."

After saying their goodbyes, Itachi finally returned home and made his way straight for the bathroom, since he could sense that there was no one else home. That was not unusual anymore, especially since Sasuke had been promoted to jonin.

They had left the inn in their own clothing and identities to throw off anyone who may have been pursuing them, acting as though they had returned from an ordinary mission. His ANBU gear was hidden within his scroll, which was why he had told his team to bring such things. It was extremely important that they didn't allow for what had happened to be traced back to Konoha.

His shower was short and peaceful, allowing Itachi to wash away the grime that had been building during their travel back to the village. There was no unpleasant smell, he simply felt better and _cleaner_ for washing it all away sooner rather than later.

Redressing into his usual outfit that he wore when not on missions, Itachi placed his sandals on once more and left the home, walking at a relaxed pace to the tea shop located in the village.

It seemed he was popular today, however.

"Oh, Itachi-san." The voice was surprised and when he turned to face his teammate, she smiled teasingly. "Already washed and changed, huh? Must be someone special."

Sakura.

Seeing that her arms were full, he took a couple of her bags from her arms without offering his assistance. He had already told her before: he was her captain, meaning he would help her. Even if it was something as mundane as grocery shopping. His mother would be disgusted with him if he didn't offer assistance.

"Wait, don't you have plans-"

"Nothing that cannot wait."

"Itachi-san, really-"

"Lead the way, Sakura-san."

"But-"

He settled her with a deadpan. "Then I will lead the way."

They would be passing the tea shop on the way, meaning he would be able to tell Izumi to wait just a short while longer for him. It wasn't polite, but there was something he had to discuss with Sakura and would only be able to do so in private, since it was so personal.

"You really don't have to do this," Sakura told him quietly after rushing to catch up with him. "I could manage."

"Perhaps, but leaving you to carry all these bags is not the right thing to do."

Instead of replying vocally, she nodded and looked away.

"You did well on our mission." Why he felt the need to make conversation, Itachi would never know. "Not allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement is something many shinobi still struggle to remember."

Again, Sakura nodded, though still didn't look at him. "I learned that the hard way," she admitted. At his silence, she continued, "I lost a close friend for pretty much the same reason: she allowed her emotions to get the better of her, wanting to prove to everyone that she was a capable kunoichi. It taught me to never allow that to happen."

Itachi glanced down at her.

Unlike Izumi, you had to look closely for Haruno Sakura's beauty. Her wide forehead was the first thing he had taken note of, followed by her eyes. They were what held the true beauty, he believed. Their stunning shade reminded Itachi of the fresh grass in spring, when life was bursting through the death winter brought along with it. Everything else about her, minus the pink hair of course, was ordinary. The almond shape of her eyes was something to marvel, he allowed, but everything else was average about her. Maybe that was because she was still young, though? It was a shock to remind himself of such a thing, but Sakura _was_ in fact only fifteen years of age, even though her maturity screamed that she was much older. That was another reason why they should forget about their kiss: the five-year age gap.

There was still time for her to flourish like the blossoms in the spring, though.

"To grow from such an experience shows that you have looked over and understood where you – or in this case, your friend – went wrong. That is no easy feat when it involves something painful."

She smiled a small, grateful smile. "It seems like you're always comforting me."

Hardly, Itachi thought with a minute amount of confusion. He could remember all interactions with Sakura and only a handful of those interactions involved him comforting her. Granted, there _were_ several occasions, but that was more pushing than comforting and on just as many occasions they were at some sort of disagreement.

"I mean, with missions," Sakura added. It was doubtful, but he assumed she'd sensed his confusion. "That first mission we went on together, I was really-"

"_Over here, Itachi-kun!"_

It wasn't like him to do so, but Itachi cursed himself when Sakura's mouth snapped shut. He had wanted to hear what she had to say, though the chances of that happening now were close to slim.

"I can carry them the rest of the way," she told him with a smile when they came to a stop beside the tea shop. "If I'd known it was a date-"

"A date?" Itachi repeated. "You are mistaken, Sakura-san. Izumi is a childhood friend." Why did he feel the need to explain himself? He never had before. "Come. I will tell her that I am accompanying you home."

"But that's rude!"

"She will understand."

She did, but it was with a pout and sigh of annoyance. Izumi had stood to greet him, pausing for a second as she took in Sakura's appearance, who in return raised a questioning eyebrow. It was understandable, as everyone from their village had heard of Haruno Sakura, especially those within the Uchiha clan, since she was Sasuke's teammate and precious friend.

"Uchiha Izumi," the taller of the two greeted, holding out her hand. "And you are?"

Itachi was not one to take notice of such things, but he believed that the temperature around them had dropped at least ten degrees as Sakura smiled sweetly (almost too sweetly, as the smile reminded him of their team's first meeting, when she had punched Sai after he insulted her) and stated, "Haruno Sakura. I'd shake your hand, but mine are full."

They weren't full. It would be easy to shift one bag into the other arm, since he was carrying the heaviest ones.

"As I was saying, Izumi, I will return soon."

"It's fine, I know what you're like when it comes to helping others, so it's nothing new or special." Did she? Smiling, Izumi added, "And you know that I will always wait for you, Itachi-kun."

Either he had missed a deeper meaning, or Sakura was hearing things, because she snickered and turned her back on them both, saying over her shoulder, "Come on, Itachi, I thought you were leading the way to my apartment?"

Itachi? Where had the added honorific disappeared to? And did Sakura have to make it sound as though they were involved in a more… intimate way? Even he had managed to pick _that_ up without even looking at the ticking of Izumi's brow.

He followed Sakura anyway, watching her until he was side by side with her once more.

Perhaps they knew each other? There was obvious tension in the air, telling him that they disliked one another, but Itachi couldn't understand why if they had in fact only just met. Did they have some sort of history?

It was their business, not his.

"Why did you move out at fifteen?"

There he was again with starting a conversation.

"I like being independent," she replied easily with a shrug, her previously souring mood vanishing. "At the time, I felt like I had no control whatsoever, so in order to gain some…"

She had moved into her own place, where she would be forced to be independent and rely on only herself for the income. In a way, Itachi envied her. He would much prefer to have his own home instead of still living with his parents, but then again, he was fortunate that they were still willing to house him. There was no point in moving out when he was rarely ever home to begin with. It was quite admirable, actually. Even while suffering through the loss of her friend, Sakura had still moved out and demanded herself to be independent, to take control of her life.

"I've barely even been home recently, though." Sakura suddenly chuckled and they came to a stop, looking up at a block of apartments. "So I haven't got any food or other supplies in. I went to take a shower and found that I had no shampoo or body wash left, so I had to come back out here, smelling like this, to buy some."

Like with himself earlier, there was no unpleasant smell lingering around her and her hair didn't look as though it needed washing, either. However, Itachi understood the need to be clean. That feeling only multiplied after a mission such as their previous one.

This was her apartment, Itachi realised belatedly. The only reason why he even noticed it, was because she was juggling for the keys in her pouch. To save her the struggle and in an effort to free one of her arms, he grabbed another one of her bags, ignoring her displeased expression when he did so.

"I can take it from here," Sakura told him once the apartment's main door was open. It was the type of door that would lock once more after it had swung itself shut, but to keep that from happening, she kept her foot firmly at the bottom, holding it open. "I've done the trip before and I'm sure I can do it again."

He didn't bother to reply, merely stepped over her outstretched leg and made his way to the stairs. There was an elevator, but it seemed to have broken at some point – not that he would have trusted such an ancient contraption, anyway. It looked majorly outdated and didn't have secure doors to it, just a simple metal gate of sorts.

"Itachi-san, you-"

Oh? "Are we back to honorifics now, Sakura?"

It felt odd calling her name without anything added to it, though he didn't allow it to show. Apparently it seemed natural enough to her, because Sakura didn't bat an eye, like she hadn't even noticed the difference.

Strange.

"Which apartment?" he questioned once they were on the correct floor. Despite knowing what building she lived in, Itachi had never looked deep enough to find the apartment.

"The one right at the end." The tone of her voice gave away her reluctant acceptance of the situation.

Her apartment was strangely comforting to him. Everything had a purpose. The front door was situated in the living room, immediately giving them the view of two separate sofas cornered around a plain wooden coffee table, which was resting on top of a cream rug. The floor was of dark wood and the age showed in the various cracks and chips.

Despite the obvious age of the apartment, it was clear that Sakura had done her best to make it feel like home. On the walls were framed photographs, showing many images that he was sure would be pleasant stories to hear one day.

The living room was a joint dining room, though he was vaguely surprised to find that Sakura had gone with the more modernised style of dining, instead of the traditional low table. The wooden table was dark in colour and surrounded by four chairs.

When they entered the kitchen, Itachi found that it was just as small as to be expected. It didn't make it any less pleasant to be in, however. The design was simple, but her touch was obvious in the lime green jars, tubs and blinds, along with the other additions.

"It's not much." For some reason, her smile was shy as they placed the grocery bags down onto the sideboard. "But it's home, you know? I've done my best to make it feel that way, anyway."

Why was she rambling? "You have done well in making it a home."

"Thanks," Sakura murmured before glancing around her small kitchen and up to the clock. "I think Izumi-san will be wondering where you are."

Yes, she would.

But why did it feel like this was more important? It shouldn't, should it? Not for the first time since their first mission together, Itachi felt an internal conflict starting up once again.

After a moment of hesitation, Sakura turned away and walked out of the kitchen, returning to the living room. He followed wordlessly, unable to force his thoughts into words. Why did this always happen when he needed words the most?

What Itachi had wanted was to talk about their kiss the other night. It was wrong of him to allow it to happen, mainly due to the fact that he was five years older than herself and also her team captain. What happened between them, had to remain between them. Sakura was a strong addition to his team and her presence was not unwelcome outside of missions, either.

He paused in his walk to the front door, glancing up at some of the photographs on the wall.

He was stalling for time, for the first time ever.

Team Seven, Itachi noted in one of the pictures as he took them in. Kakashi was standing behind (and towering over) them all, with his hands resting on top of Naruto and Sasuke's head, while Sakura was smiling sweetly at the camera. The next picture was one that had him feeling rather amused. It was of herself and Senju Tsunade, the pair of them sat at a table with their hands clasped together and their teeth gritted, expressions showing the strain of their arm wrestling match. He assumed it was Shizune who had taken the picture, as it seemed to have taken place during Sakura's travels with the two women. Other pictures were of her with family members, or her with friends.

The final picture had him pausing.

It was at the very centre of all the photographs and was easily the largest out of them all, with fake flowers twisting around the frame in order to make it stand out more. The subject of the picture was Sakura and another blonde. This one was obviously much younger than Tsunade, but easily as well endowed as her physically.

"Ino," Sakura mentioned softly after following his line of sight. "It was the day we made it to chunin together, after training for so long to try and be prepared for the exams."

They were happy in the picture, both making the victory sign at the camera with an arm slung around one another's shoulders or waist. Their eyes screamed how naïve they were, however and their perfectly styled hair told him of their superficial natures. Taking a look at the woman stood beside him now made it clear that she had grown from Yamanaka's death, as she'd had no choice but to. There was no more naïvety in her eyes.

Woman.

Again, he was calling her a woman. It was because of how responsible and mature she seemed emotionally.

He had to keep reminding himself that she _was_ still classed as a child.

Itachi turned to face her. "Sakura, I-"

He should have seen it coming.

Even though his Sharingan was not activated, he should have noticed the shift. He should have reacted sooner to her lunge, but for some reason, he hadn't.

Hands were suddenly cupping his face, bringing him down to her height and lips were crashing against his own, moving in a way that made her inexperience obvious. However, Itachi couldn't find it in himself to care about her lack of experience as he stumbled backwards from her lunge, his back falling against the wall.

This was not how he had been planning on things to go.

He found himself returning her kiss, though. With his hands running through her soft, soft hair before falling to her sides and his eyes slipping shut, refusing to pull away for a split second as he switched their places, completely covering her petite body with his own as he pressed his body to hers.

They had to pull away at some point, though and it was when his lungs began aching for air, when his head began swimming with a mixture of different emotions.

Like a couple of nights ago, Itachi's forehead pressed to hers and his eyes remained shut.

Wrong.

All of it was wrong.

But if that was the case, then why…

Why did it feel as though he finally belonged?

Why did she always make him feel as though he belonged?

* * *

"You took your time, Itachi-kun."

"Forgive me, Izumi," he murmured and sat down opposite her.

She had decided to sit outside in the warm sun and gentle breeze and Itachi found himself feeling grateful for that. It would give him the opportunity to take a deep breath and figure out what he was supposed to do about his situation with Sakura.

Somehow, somewhere, their admiration of each other's skills and strengths had switched to something deeper, something that was a bit more than admiration, but not anymore than… Than what exactly?

"Did you manage to help that girl, then?" Izumi asked after a sip of her tea and beneath the table, he felt her crossing her legs, for she accidentally bumped the tips of her toes against his leg. "Sasuke-kun's little teammate?"

The internal conflicted multiplied. Not only was she only fifteen years old and his teammate, but she was also his younger brother's friend and teammate, too. She was a precious bond to Sasuke.

Things had been left awkwardly between them, with Itachi murmuring that he had to go and Sakura nodding silently, looking anywhere but at him. It was obvious from the look on her face that she was just as surprised by her actions as he was with his own. Neither of them had expected things to escalate as quickly as they had.

Where did they go from there?

The first kiss had been short and simple and it had been explainable to a degree. The kiss they had just shared… was anything but. It was filled with heat and passion and just the mere thought of had Itachi clenching his hands into fists beneath the table, thankful for the fact that it hid his actions from view.

"Yes," he replied eventually.

"You are too nice for your own good sometimes, Itachi-kun," Izumi scolded lightly. "Coming to the aid of young damsels in distress and whatnot. You ought to be wary of them taking advantage of your gentle nature."

Haruno Sakura was hardly a damsel in distress. In the past, yes, but now she was the one rescuing everyone else.

He didn't reply.

"I ordered some dango for you," she suddenly told him with a smile. "It's a good job I told them to wait until you arrived, though. I know you prefer it best when it's freshly made."

Indeed, he did. "Thank you."

Izumi brushed her long hair over her shoulder and pouted. "Are you going to tell me what is bothering you? The last time I saw you with such an expression was before your first ever mission with Shisui-san, after you activated your Sharingan."

Really? Itachi hadn't been aware that any expression was on his features. "It is nothing, Izumi," he lied easily. "I am attempting to think of a time to spar with Sasuke, as he has been asking to train with me once again."

It was such a relief, really. For the longest time his younger brother had been drifting further and further away from them all, to the point where he was angry to be brought back to clan matters. Itachi understood the feeling of wanting time away from the stress of the clan, truly he did, but it simply wasn't possible because of who their father was. Unfortunately, Sasuke found it impossible to see things in such a light and it was why they hadn't been so close over the past several years. His brother despised him for saying and believing such things, for not siding with him.

"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" she pushed.

"Yes."

Izumi didn't sound or look convinced in the slightest. "Okay…"

Thankfully, that was when their dango arrived and was placed in front of them, three pieces each.

It seemed the Gods were against him, however, because just as he was about to finish his last stick, she began pushing again. This time it was on a completely different subject.

"Say, Itachi-kun," Izumi tilted her head to the side and stared at something behind him. "Does Shisui-san have a girlfriend now?"

Feeling vaguely interested and curious, for it was a subject he'd never really thought about before, Itachi glanced up at his childhood friend. "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

She gestured to the scene behind him with her chin, raising an eyebrow. "He's been spending an awful lot of time with your brother's teammate, wouldn't you say?"

No, they hadn't. Not as far as he was aware of, anyway. They trained together every now and then, due to the fact that Shisui was teaching her how to fight with a katana, but other than that, they hadn't spent much time together – if any. And besides, when would Izumi have seen Shisui and Sakura together? The two women had only just introduced themselves to each other earlier that day.

_Girls._

No, woman and girl!

"They are friends."

To this, she laughed. "Sure, Itachi-kun. Since when do friends stand so closely together?"

Fractionally, his eyes narrowed, focusing on the reflections he could see through the windows so he wouldn't have to turn in his seat. Absurd. It was absolutely absurd what she was saying. But as he found them, he felt anger settling deeply into his gut as it twisted in such a violent way that it put him off his dango, leaving him to place it down onto the plate with silent rage.

As Izumi had stated: Sakura and Shisui _were_ together, walking down the streets. It seemed during the time of him leaving her apartment, she had washed and changed into more comfortable clothing, though on her back was her katana. Shisui wasn't much different in appearance and his own katana was in view, too. When had they made plans to train together? During their mission? When they returned? After she had kissed him?

Were they standing close to one another?

Previously, Itachi would have said no. He would have said that they were standing at a friendly distance.

Now…

It all looked a little _too_ friendly.

* * *

Man, she was beat!

Her spar with Shisui had aided in releasing her pent up emotions after the kiss with Itachi. She still couldn't believe what the hell she'd done and couldn't understand what had possessed her to do something so reckless, either. It was like a sudden urge had taken over her to reach out and touch him. Uchiha Itachi was there, in her apartment and he was _her_ version. Even though Sakura had repeatedly argued with herself over that fact, she couldn't stop viewing him as hers. The other Itachi… He belonged to the other version of herself, just as she belonged to him.

Maybe that was all it was? The thought of them having to end up together simply because they had in another timeline? Maybe that was what had driven her to act in such an unbelievable way? It would explain the pang of jealousy she felt at the sight of that Uchiha woman who was waiting for him at the tea shop. It would explain _so much!_

Yes, she admired him and yes, she respected him, but did the feelings go deeper than that? Sakura was still having a hard time figuring out how she was supposed to fall in love with a guy who was so closed off, but in those brief moments of short lived passion, Itachi was so open and raw. It was like he held nothing back and it both excited and terrified her. Maybe that was why she kissed him again?

She sighed and entered her office at the hospital. It was more of a box room than an office, but it gave her the chance to sit down between shifts or surgeries and take a breather. It was somewhere to complete her patients' paperwork, or to eat her lunch, or to fall asleep when she used way too much of her chakra. Speaking of paperwork… Tsunade had asked for a patient's file, hence the reason why she had gone to the hospital and not home. However, just as Sakura was about to pick up said paperwork, the window in her office opened and somebody slipped inside.

It stunned her to see Itachi.

"You kissed me," was the first thing he said to her.

She refused to acknowledge the blush on her cheeks. "You kissed me back."

"You should not have kissed me," Itachi reiterated and it felt like she'd suffered a blow to the gut for reasons she couldn't even begin to understand.

Sakura turned away and grabbed the paperwork Tsunade had been asking for, determined on forgetting all about Uchiha Itachi and his stupid mood swings. Why was he so closed off all of a sudden? "If that's the way you feel, then it won't happen again."

His hand came down on the wall, forcing her to stop walking abruptly as he trapped her. Not for the first time and definitely not for the last, his speed stunned her because even though her office was small, it wasn't _that_ small. It was at least a three second walk over to the window. "It is hard to understand what Shisui sees in a woman who is so promiscuous, but I will not stand for you making a fool of him, Haruno," he muttered coldly.

Haruno?

Promiscuous?

Wait, what was that about Shisui?

Sakura faced him fully, frowning. "…I think you've misunderstood, Itachi-"

"There is no misunderstanding," he interrupted and his eyes narrowed.

Much to her horror, there was even a flash of red in them, telling her that he was more than likely fighting against the activation of his Sharingan as it responded to his emotions. What the hell was going on? Why was he so angry with her?

Sakura wasn't sure as to whether or not she was grateful for the interruption when somebody knocked on her door, telling her that Tsunade was in serious need of the paperwork and file in her hands. Instead of giving them to the messenger when they left to complete other tasks, which would have been easier, Sakura's hold on them tightened and she took a step back from Itachi, trying her best to escape his suffocating anger.

"I… need to go," her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. "But if you could just wait for me then maybe we could talk-"

But Itachi was shaking his head. "Outside of missions, we will have no contact. The only reason I am not dismissing you from my team, Haruno, is because we are in need of your skills."

The effect his earlier words had on her was nothing compared to the harsh words he threw at her and her throat began aching. "Itachi…"

"You will address me as Uchiha-taichou, Haruno. I refuse to play along in your childish games any longer – I have humoured you long enough."

He left the way he came once the words were out: through the window, leaving Sakura to fall back against the wall and bite her lower lip harshly, almost drawing blood. Mostly she was hurt and confused, but anger was swelling dangerously within her.

Why were they taking two _humongous_ steps back after one step forward?


	19. What Did You Do?

**Chapter 19**

**What Did You Do?**

* * *

The sight that welcomed her as her office door opened almost overwhelmed Tsunade, as she hadn't been expecting it in the least. All she'd asked for was for a couple of files. Had the chunin messenger been too much?

"Sakura?"

Her apprentice was clutching the files close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them tightly and her entire body shook with a silent sob. The only reason it was silent was because the stupid girl was nearly tearing her own lip off to keep it that way.

It was fine, she assured herself and stood up slowly. As long as the tears didn't start-

Damn it.

"Shishou, I-I'm…"

Tsunade made her way around the desk and sighed. Apparently she would not be making it to her dinner reservations tonight – it was the reason why she'd been rushing her apprentice in the first place.

"What is it, Sakura? Why are you walking around like your cat just died?"

Apparently that was _not_ the right thing to say.

It was like she just crumbled to pieces right in front of her, dropping the files to the ground and all but lunging forward, clinging to Tsunade in an almost desperate manner. The movement wasn't exactly unwelcome, but it wasn't greatly appreciated, either. The last time she'd held Sakura was during Yamanaka Ino's funeral and she would prefer for those memories to remain locked away, for the pain her apprentice had been in was something she never wanted to see again. Not only was it horrible to witness, but it brought too many agonising memories back to her.

She was becoming hysterical, though, so Tsunade knew she had no other choice. She pushed Sakura back and once the girl had found her balance, her hand came out, slapping her across the cheek. It wasn't enough to cause any serious damage or leave a mark, however, it was a stinger and it was enough to knock some sense into the girl.

"Calm down, Sakura," ordered Tsunade seriously and she settled her hands onto her hips. "Start from the beginning."

Oh and the blonde felt her blood boiling as Sakura told her everything, even parts that were not meant to be shared. That was something Tsunade had always promised her after Ino's death – someone to vent to. The Yamanaka girl had always been there to listen to her problems and offer her advice (even if it wasn't wanted), but now that she was gone, there wasn't anyone else for Sakura to go to with problems such as the one she was currently in.

Damn it!

During the story, Tsunade had folded her arms and now, against her biceps, her fists clenched tightly, almost tearing the fabric of her haori.

It may have been her grandfather's wishes to have a village that was united, but damn it all, she hated that Uchiha Clan. They were all stubborn fools who would rather agonisingly slowly burn to death than admit they were wrong. It seemed that brat Itachi was taking after his father in that regard.

"First off," Tsunade sat down at her desk once more and narrowed her eyes at her apprentice, "you should know better than to become involved with one of your teammates, let alone your captain."

She sniffed and nodded. "Y-Yes, Tsunade-shishou."

"If I was Hokage I would have removed you from Uchiha Itachi's team the second those words left your lips."

Again, another nod.

"Secondly, the only reason I didn't stop you in your explanation just now is because I was once a member of ANBU myself. Had I been just an average jonin, however, you would have broken numerous rules by sharing such information with me."

Another round of tears began and Sakura raised a shaking hand to her mouth, horrified with herself as she realised what she'd done. The poor girl was clearly a newbie, still learning the rules and growing accustomed to them.

"Thirdly…" Tsunade sighed and rubbed her temple. "Why the hell would you get involved with someone like Uchiha Itachi, Sakura? What's wrong with boys your own age, preferably ones who aren't the heir to a clan of assholes?"

That got a small chuckle out of her, much to the blonde's delight. "It's not…" Sakura looked up at the ceiling with watery eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to find the right words. "It's just how he spoke to me. He turned on me so quickly that I was too shocked to say anything."

"He thinks you're dating his friend."

"But I'm not."

With another sigh, Tsunade gestured towards the seat in front of her desk and Sakura sat down with a huff of annoyance. It wasn't aimed at her, she knew that. The girl was frustrated with what was happening and how she was suddenly being treated.

"Did you tell Itachi that?" asked Tsunade with a raised eyebrow. When only silence met her, she shook her head. "Of course you didn't. He probably didn't even give you the chance to defend yourself, did he?"

Another sniffle. "He… H-He was _so mad_, Shishou!"

"Next you'll be telling me his Sharingan was activated-"

"Nearly," Sakura exclaimed and erupted into another sob. Her head fell into her hands. "It looked like he was fighting against it, but I knew it was trying to happen a-and I…"

Then it was much more serious than she'd originally presumed it to be, Tsunade thought and leaned forward in her seat, resting her elbows onto the desk and her lips against her joined hands. Uchiha Itachi was an extremely composed man and not a lot was able to elicit such a response from him. For his Sharingan to activate (or try to) while confronting Sakura about her seeing his friend (even though it wasn't true), meant that it went deeper than just superficial feelings.

That damned clan!

What was it her great uncle once said about them? They were a clan who cherished love so much more than any other clan out there, including their own – and it wasn't _just_ love, but friendship, too. They were incredibly devoted to both, so much so that if someone was to take that away from them, or at least try to, then it caused a manifestation of unique chakra, awakening the Sharingan. Her great uncle, Tobirama, was a wise man who had spent almost his entire life secretly studying the Uchiha Clan. He watched how they interacted with one another, or with their loved ones and his final conclusion on them was that when they were at risk of losing that love (or had actually lost it), then the Curse of Hatred would form. He had always believed that the Uchiha Clan was cursed.

The Curse of Hatred was almost like a counterpart to her own clan's Will of Fire. The former caused the Uchiha to become obsessed with their own goals, whereas the latter made the Senju incredibly selfless in their goals. The Will of Fire was all about protecting somebody else (for example, the entire village), whilst the Curse of Hared made the Uchiha think only of themselves – they would sacrifice so many people for the betterment of just a few. In some ways, Tsunade could understand, because she would have done anything to protect her brother and lover, had she been given the chance. She would have given her own life so that they would be able to live theirs, or sacrificed those who had murdered them-

Ridiculous thoughts, she scolded herself.

"What possessed you to kiss him?" Tsunade questioned in an attempt to push away her past. "You haven't known each other that long, have you?"

"I don't know," replied Sakura honestly. "Part of me feels as though I've known him my entire life."

"And the other?"

She shrugged helplessly. "I can't explain it. It was… exciting." A blush raged brightly on her cheeks and her eyes dropped from Tsunade's. "Something that shouldn't happen, but did."

The blonde nodded once with a soft frown. "So it's not that you feel anything for Itachi, it was simply an 'in the moment' type of thing?"

Sakura sobbed again in response and buried her head in her hands. From the sight of her, it was obvious she was feeling ashamed of her actions and it only confirmed Tsunade's suspicions. The girl wasn't in love with Itachi (thank the Gods) and more than likely, he was not in love with her. Both of their kisses were after emotional conversations, where either Sakura, or both of them, were allowing themselves to show a more vulnerable side of them. The kisses… They were perfectly natural to happen. God knows Tsunade had made a few mistakes such as those herself. Actually, she'd done a whole lot worse than kiss the wrong man. This situation with Itachi was nothing.

But… It wasn't nothing to Sakura, who was completely inexperienced when it came to men.

Standing with a sigh, she made her way around the desk and sat on the arm of the chair Sakura was seated on, resting her hand on the girl's shoulder comfortingly.

"Here's what you need to do, Sakura…"

* * *

All of his building anger was dangerous, Itachi tried to warn himself.

_Why was he so angry?_

There was no logical explanation at all.

He'd been planning on demanding answers from Sakura, not to ambush her. He hadn't wanted to unleash his anger on her and to see those green eyes become glassy made him feel like he was torn in half. It was like the feelings came from deep within his heart – not feelings for Sakura as such, but the anger and the betrayal – and they were impossible to ignore. No matter how hard Itachi tried, those emotions and the reminders became louder and louder.

The way he responded to said emotions had been completely… instinctive. He'd listened to his gut and his heart before his head.

That had never happened before.

Even now, he was walking without a destination and it wasn't until Itachi looked up that he realised he was in front of Shisui's home.

It was one of the recently built homes and had been finished a couple of months ago, while they were away on a mission. Apparently it was his father's way of keeping up with modern times, though Itachi saw it as a waste of time and money. Their own home was the first home to be demolished and rebuilt from nothing, shortly followed by the elders' once Fugaku had their approval for the remodelling of the district.

If he was not mistaken, then it had actually been Haruno Sakura who'd gladly brought down all of their houses one by one. Her shishou had been with her, watching over her. Training, perhaps? Making sure she wasn't using too much chakra? Or too little?

The sound of metal whistling through the air had Itachi walking around the side of the house and into the garden. Unlike his own home, Shisui had asked for simple, flat ground so that he could train at home every now and then. It was more practical, he'd told them and ever since he'd stated such a thing, many other Uchiha had followed in his footsteps.

In the garden, other than his friend, stood two wooden blocks that were around the same height as himself. They showed the training Shisui had been doing in the past two months, already torn and covered in markings. As well as this, they were each covered from bottom to top in both shuriken and kunai, which Shisui was in the process of removing.

"What brings you here, Itachi?"

As expected of Shisui. He hadn't even looked his way, yet he knew of his presence.

When there was no answer, his friend looked over to him and paused, eyes widening a fraction. "That bad, huh?" he asked and then frowned. "Has something happened? I haven't seen you this wound up since you awakened your Sharingan." Again, once Shisui figured Itachi was having difficult finding the right words, he gave him a serious expression and nodded once. "The only rule is that no damage is to come to my home."

And just like that, their spar began.

* * *

Itachi fell back against the ground, his chest heaving as he did his best to catch his breath. Fortunately, his friend was no different, as Shisui was breathing just as harshly, was just as sweaty and bruised up. Nowadays, the only person to match him evenly – was stronger than him, even – was Shisui. Even his father couldn't keep up now, even with his 'secret weapon'.

"You were sloppy just now, Itachi."

"…I know."

Sighing, Shisui fell backwards into the short grass and folded his hands behind his head. "I wonder what's up with people today. Sakura was no different earlier."

Itachi's fists clenched.

"She came at me recklessly, too."

He shut his eyes, willing away his conflicted feelings.

"Of course it did her no good." Shisui sighed again. "It makes me wonder, however…" He could feel eyes on him and in response, Itachi opened his once more, glancing in the other Uchiha's direction. As expected, Shisui was watching him in what he assumed was suspicion. "Why would you both suddenly be acting in such a way, when I know you're both more than capable of sparring with me for longer than five minutes, especially yourself?"

Very faintly, his eyebrow ticked.

That was enough for Shisui, though.

"Something between the two of you, obviously." Another sigh. "I saw you at the tea shop with Izumi-san earlier while I was on my way to the training grounds with Sakura-san. She looked irritated, though you looked surprisingly angry. Is it to do with that?"

Izumi…

No, his anger was not because of Izumi. It would be incredibly easy to blame her, for she was the one to point out what Itachi normally wouldn't have noticed, but it wasn't her fault. Ever since the Kyuubi attack fifteen years ago, they had always been friends and looked out for one another. Shisui was right, though. She has been irritated earlier when she spotted Sakura and Shisui together, he simply hadn't thought about asking why. There were obviously going to be times when they needed space and privacy. Perhaps she had feelings for Shisui and that was why she was annoyed to see him with Sakura, walking so closely to her?

It would be unfortunate if that was the case, because Shisui had never kept his distaste unhidden. He didn't like Izumi and would rather not be in her presence, for reasons Itachi did not know or understand, and made it clear by leaving if she would approach them, or blatantly ignore her. It hadn't always been that way, of course. There was a time, when he'd first introduced the two of them, when Shisui tolerated her and smiled in her direction. They conversed politely. Somewhere in the past fourteen years (he introduced them a year after meeting Izumi), something had happened to change that, but Itachi couldn't think of when or how it happened.

"She pointed out the obvious."

His words confused Shisui. He wasn't surprised. "Eh?"

"Your relationship with Haruno."

"What about it?"

Itachi looked back to his friend. Was that a defensive response? A negative? Positive? What did it mean? "You are romantically involved with one another."

Silence.

And then his response made his stomach drop.

"What are you talking about?" Shisui asked and gave a loud laugh, even throwing his head back. "You think Sakura and I are romantically involved?"

Itachi frowned and ignored the twisting in his gut.

_There was no added honorific._

_They had to be close._

"Itachi." He smirked. "Sakura is much, _much_ younger than I am – I'm closer to her former sensei's age than her own – and she is also a completely innocent girl when it comes to…" Suddenly, he coughed and looked away. "When it comes to _that_ area – she's not my type. I like to think of Sakura as more of a sister, than anything else."

A sister?

Shisui looked over to him once more and raised an eyebrow. "You know, someone to look out for and protect? She is the most innocent member of our team, Itachi. Not to mention the youngest. The moment I heard of your intentions to have her move to our team, I strongly disagreed – you know this. Someone with a heart like hers cannot survive long in ANBU. I have told you this from the start."

If that was the case… Itachi tilted his head back and gazed up at the darkening sky, his hands coming to rest on the grass at each side of his body. Very faintly, his fingers pulled at the grass, tugging on it as his hands attempted to clench into fists.

"You have been spending a lot of time together-"

"I spend just as much time with you, Itachi," Shisui argued calmly. "That is what friends do. Not only is she pleasant to be around, but Sakura and I have one or two things in common, giving us much to talk about." He shook his head. "Where is this coming from? You have never been concerned about how much time I spend with a woman before."

His eyes shut. "Haruno…" Itachi sighed and restarted his sentence. "Sakura kissed me, Shisui. Given how close the two of you have been, I assumed there was more to it than mere friendship."

"…And you got upset." He could see, when he reopened his eyes, that Shisui was smiling at him. "Thank you for your concern, but you have nothing to worry about, Itachi. Sakura is a free and independent woman, with no ties to anyone other than family and friends."

Why did it feel as though his stomach had just dropped to the soles of his feet for the second time in the past few minutes? "I see."

"Don't misunderstand," Shisui then added and tipped his head to the side thoughtfully, "Sakura is a great girl with a heart big enough for our entire team, but she's too young for me. In all honesty, Itachi, I'm annoyed that you would think so lowly of her. What has Sakura done to deserve that?"

…Nothing.

She had done absolutely nothing.

"Next time, just ask her about it. Don't go making assumptions."

But he hadn't been, had he? The thought was planted in his mind and from there, suspicion had stemmed, growing until he couldn't ignore what he had presumed to be facts.

…He'd made assumptions based on false information.

And by doing so, had more than likely greatly offended Sakura.

No, it was for certain that Itachi had upset Sakura. Replaying the memory of the hurt expression on her face when he accused her of being promiscuous clarified that fact. It was genuine. Her confusion and her hurt had been genuine, but he'd been too angry to take any notice. Not only was Shisui being played for a fool, but he was, too – or so Itachi had thought.

It would be far too shameful to admit the truth of his actions to Shisui, Itachi decided. Already his friend was angry with him for accusing Sakura while she was not around to defend herself. How would he feel knowing he'd confronted her, also? Saying that, though, he seriously doubted Shisui would be capable of making him feel any worse than he already did.

No amount of apologising would make what he'd done all right, but it would be a start.

"I confronted her," Itachi finally managed to confess.

He _felt_ Shisui stiffen by his side. He could _feel_ his friend's anger growing. After all, Shisui had seen the state he was in when he first arrived at his home. "You confronted her, or you ambushed her?" When there was no answer, he demanded, "Answer me, Itachi."

"Ambushed." Because that was what it had been, hadn't it? He'd ambushed her.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded angrily. "Sakura is a sweet girl – what was going through your mind to disrespect her like that?"

"I don't know."

"Look at me."

Reluctantly, Itachi did so and the sight of Shisui's Sharingan did not surprise him, nor did the fact that it was the Mangekyō. When riled up enough, even the most composed of men could lose their temper, or lose themselves to their emotions. That was what happened to himself earlier that day.

Only two Uchiha clansmen, as far as Itachi was aware of, possessed the Mangekyō and even though it held so much impressive power, he did not envy either of them. He'd seen the effects it had on the two men and he'd seen what it was capable of.

He didn't want any of that.

"Why would you do that, Itachi?" Shisui questioned seriously, his voice low.

"I wrongly believed she was disrespecting us-"

"Don't use that bullshit as an excuse with me," he cut him off. "You have always been this way, Itachi. Ever since your genin team was killed, you have repeatedly pushed people away whenever they come to close to you – it's why Sasuke can barely stand the sight of you anymore. The only reason why I'm still here is because _I understand_."

That was hardly fair. "Shisui-"

His eyes narrowed a fraction. "Do not interrupt me, Itachi."

He fell silent.

Sitting up straight, Shisui regarded him silently for a moment before muttering, "I don't know if you have any feelings for Sakura and I don't care because it has nothing to do with me or anybody else. However, what I do care about is the fact that you push people away the first chance you get. You're going to end up an old and bitter man who is always alone at this rate, Itachi."

There was nowhere else to look. It was impossible to break eye contact with Shisui while he was being so serious. The tension of the moment was weighing him down, however and he could hear a small voice in the back of his mind piping up, telling him to get out of it while he still could. It was becoming too serious.

…And Shisui was right.

No, Itachi wasn't only just admitting such a thing – he'd known for a while now. It was his own bad habit, of course, meaning he'd always been aware of it. But because it was a bad habit, it was difficult, bordering on impossible, to break and time and time again, Itachi found himself repeating his mistakes like it was a never ending cycle.

"You found an excuse to push Sakura away the second she began depending on you and you took full advantage of it."

Yes, he had.

"But that also means that it was becoming serious."

"That is not-"

"True?" Shisui raised an eyebrow at him. "Then explain why you would suddenly reacted in such a way to a _rumour_ – something you have stated many times before that you have no time for."

"She kissed me, Shisui. Twice-"

"Is it due to her age?" he questioned. A second later and his Sharingan deactivated, showing Itachi that he was calming down. "Are you warring with yourself and used her apparent relationship with me as an excuse to take the easy way out?"

Why did that make him sound like such a coward?

…Because it was the truth.

This time, instead of there being anger, there was disappointment and for some reason, it stung Itachi and he couldn't fully understand why.

"Why can't you let people in, Itachi?" Shisui asked with a sigh. "Your team, your _first_ team, wouldn't want you to be this way."

The only person to ever force him to back down was Shisui, because no matter how much of a leap he made in power, the older Uchiha was always one step ahead of him and was always going to be his senior. He was always going to be an older brother and precious friend to him.

Itachi gazed up at the sky again, not wanting to continue having any eye contact with him, and took a deep breath through his nose.

It may have been years since their deaths – over a decade, actually – but that didn't mean that there weren't times when Itachi looked back and regretted their situation. He always felt like he _should_ have been stronger, he _should_ have protected them, instead of freezing up and losing the ability to move or think clearly.

They were the first non-Uchiha to welcome him (and not because of his surname or appearance or ability to terrify the bullies away). They welcomed him because they formed a bond, because they took the time to get to know him, and he them. It was the first time Itachi had ever invested any time in anyone who wasn't an Uchiha and it had felt so unbelievably amazing to create bonds such as those, because he genuinely hadn't thought it to be possible.

And… then they died.

And part of himself lost all hope in anything and everything.

That was why he had gone to Sakura after the assassination. Nobody had been able to stop his own light from dimming, from his world becoming shrouded in darkness, but he'd naïvely hoped he would be able to save her from that same darkness. Granted, kissing her was not the solution, but the moment had been there and she had been reaching out to him.

Why must bad things happen to good people? Why did there have to be death? What was the point in life when there was so much suffering, pain and sorrow?

Eventually Itachi became numb to it all.

It was the only way he was able to complete his missions successfully.

"Either way, you _are_ going to apologise to her," Shisui muttered when he realised he wouldn't be getting a reply. "Sakura is a good person, Itachi."

Yes, she was.

He should have known that instead of assuming the worst about her.

The presence of another had Itachi tilting his head to the side, bangs shifting over his features and at the sight of the dark haired woman, he sighed. It should have occurred to him much earlier that his actions would have consequences and it seemed his punishment was due.

"Shizune-senpai," Shisui acknowledged politely with a nod.

She returned the gesture, though when her eyes settled onto Itachi, her displeasure was obvious in the way she looked down at him. "Tsunade-sama wishes to speak with you, Uchiha-san and the sooner you go to her, the better. She is in no mood to play hide and seek."

Like he would do such a thing – that was Hatake Kakashi's style.

"Understood."

The pig in her arms – Tonton, he believed its name to be – oinked worriedly, though Shizune paid it no mind as she gave him one last look of disgust before turning on her heel and walking away.

"Got to hand it to her," the older Uchiha stated once Shizune had disappeared, "her composure is impressive."

Itachi sighed and stood up, paying no attention to his friend.

* * *

"You damned Uchiha brat…"

Itachi stepped to the side, effortlessly dodging the bookend that had been thrown with brute force. Then, he dodged the medical textbook. And then the chair, which shortly had the desk following it. Papers and books flew around the room, leaving it a mess and vaguely, he pitied the poor fool who would have to tidy it.

Once there were no longer any projectiles, he stood still in the centre of the office, watching the aggravated blonde blankly as she panted through gritted teeth, her features set into a furious mask of hatred.

"You asked to see me, Tsunade-sama?"

"You…" Her knuckles cracked when she clenched her fists. That didn't sound healthy. "How dare you…!"

So she had definitely been informed of his mistake, then. There hadn't been much doubt, what with the way Shizune had regarded him when she was usually nothing but polite, though his suspicions were definitely solidified now.

"Sakura is a grown woman, Tsunade-sama and she can defend-"

"She's _fifteen years old,"_ Tsunade yelled right back at him and her left hand twitched, like she was thinking of grabbing something else to throw at him, or maybe contemplating hitting him herself so that there was less chance of her missing the target. "Sakura is _not_ a grown woman and it would do you well to remember that."

That was… not what he'd been expecting to hear. Itachi had assumed that the blonde was going to tear him apart for how he'd treated Sakura. "You do not need to worry about that-"

"Apparently I do," she snapped, cutting him off once more. Folding her arms across her ample chest, Tsunade's glare amplified. "Why did you let Sakura kiss you, Uchiha?"

Silence.

He refused to answer to anyone about his actions, regardless of their status in the village. Already, Itachi accepted that what he had done, or allowed to happen, was wrong and it shouldn't have happened. Having it repeatedly brought back up was beginning to aggravate him.

_His patience could only be stretched so far before it snapped._

_Already, that had been proven._

"Uchiha-"

"If that is all, Tsunade-sama, then I will be taking my leave."

The look on her face was murderous and had he been anyone else, the punch she suddenly threw his way would have connected, as would the next. When it came to the third punch, Itachi finally lost his patience and caught her wrist, spinning Tsunade once and restraining her. For a woman who was well into her sixties, she was still able to move around like she was merely a teenager who was bursting with energy.

"Tsunade-sama, you are a powerful medic-nin who has my utmost respect, however, if you come at me again, I will not take you lightly while fighting back and you _will_ be hurt," Itachi murmured lowly, his hold on her unyielding. "Do you understand?"

His order seemed to piss her off even more, but finally, after moments of thinking about it, Tsunade nodded, holding still as he released her and putting more space between them once she was freed.

"Just know…" she muttered darkly. "If you _ever_ cause my apprentice upset again, I will make sure she gets away with putting you in your place and more. Do _you_ understand?"

How terrifying. "Where is she?"

Her anger seemed to have subsided, because honey brown eyes were suddenly rolling and Tsunade told him, "Check the training grounds."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thank you all so much for the support you've shown me so far and if you have the time, please could you all check out my Ko-Fi?
> 
> https://ko-fi.com/riseoftheblossom


	20. Look At What You've Done Now

**Chapter 20**

**Look At What You've Done Now**

* * *

Stupid Uchiha!

Sakura grit her teeth and swung her fist, watching angrily as the large wooden post snapped in half and fell to the ground. It would be quick to fix if she managed to catch Kakashi for a second, asking him to point her in the right direction. His list of contacts was unbelievably huge.

The shock had worn off now, as had the sadness at being treated in such an unforgivable way. That was what upset her so much: she hadn't been expecting it. It literally came out of nowhere, since they'd been kissing only hours before.

Did she regret kissing him?

Her fist slammed into another wooden post, ignoring how a huge crack split it in half.

Partly.

Had he not ambushed her the way he had, then it would have been a definite no. The first kiss had been sweet and comforting – a completely different kind of comfort than what anyone had been able to give to her. It was new and she had wanted to experience more of it, which obviously took them to the second kiss. It wasn't the same. Something had been different in the way he returned the kiss. Was it because she had lunged for him instead of leaning forward slowly? Was that what changed the kiss from sweet and comforting to… raw and passionate? Her cheeks flushed. It was embarrassing to admit, but Uchiha Itachi was her first kiss. And her second. And he was the first to evoke such emotions, such reactions, from her.

But after that stunt he pulled in the office, snapping at her and telling her that he'd only been _humouring_ her… Sakura bit her lip harshly and grabbed the broken wooden post, launching it across the training field with everything she had, yelling out angrily as she did so.

_"Shannaro!"_

_Who the fuck did he think he was? _ _Humouring her? _ _How dare he!_

Did their kisses mean nothing to him? While there weren't any powerful emotions behind the actions, Sakura wasn't stupid or naïve enough to say that they didn't mean anything. He'd comforted her so many times now, back on their first ever mission and on their most recent. It was almost like he took her under his wing in ANBU, shielding her from the true horrors that threatened to destroy her mentally.

Where the hell had _that_ Itachi gone?

The one who made her smile and laugh. The one who pretended to be annoyed with her, but enjoyed their bantering just as much as she did. The one who pushed her instead of babying her, bringing out her determination and motivating her when it all seemed so bleak. The one who fucking force fed her when she was being stubborn.

The Itachi who had confronted her… was a coward. He was running away.

_She hated cowards!_

A flash of killing intent zapped through her and Sakura spun, falling into a defensive stance, but just as quickly fell out of the stance when she saw who was approaching her. He wouldn't…

Would he?

"Shikamaru," Sakura acknowledged, trying to hide the fact that her throat suddenly felt like it was growing tighter and tighter. "I haven't seen you around in a while."

Shikamaru was silent as he came to a stop in front of her, with at least two hundred yards separating them. His hands were shoved into his pockets and from his stance, she could tell that he was tense.

Damn it, where was Naruto when she needed him? He was always the peacemaker!

Her left foot slipped backwards and her hands raised defensively.

There was no avoiding it, was there?

He was much faster than he used to be, Sakura realised with a curse and instead of lingering in the background, using his shadow jutsu, Shikamaru instead darted straight for her, fist drawing back.

But instead of connecting with her face, a large hand closed around the fist, bringing him to a halt and she couldn't help but feel stunned as the force of the attack hit her, blowing her hair backwards and off her face. The person who stopped the attack didn't even flinch.

Shikamaru cursed and yanked his hand back, putting more distance between them. The stress must have been great, because he was lighting a cigarette as soon as he was standing up right once more.

"Is there a problem, Nara-san?"

Sakura could only stare at Uchiha Itachi's back in stunned silence. He came. He came to defend her. Not her saviour, but the Itachi of this timeline.

_Why?_

"With you, Uchiha-san?" Shikamaru replied in a drawl. "No."

"That is not what I asked," murmured the Uchiha. "I asked if you had a problem. I did not ask who it was with."

Brown eyes narrowed fractionally and he flicked the ash from his cigarette, not watching the way the wind picked the ash up and drifted it high into the air and away with the breeze. "That is none of your concern."

He raised an eyebrow. "That is where you are wrong, Nara-san. Seeing as Sakura is my teammate and you are obviously challenging her with killing intent, it is definitely my concern."

_Sakura._

_Not Haruno._

Where was this sudden change coming from? She was going to end up with whiplash if Itachi kept switching his moods like he was turning a light switch on and off. It was difficult keeping up. Was he mad at her? Was he happy with her? Had she done something wrong? Something good? There was no true way of knowing with him.

"Teammate?" Shikamaru questioned and once again, his eyes were narrowing.

"Yes," he replied simply. "If it is a spar you want, then by all means, attack me, but you will not attack Sakura and it will definitely not be with killing intent."

After one last long drag of his cigarette, Shikamaru flicked it to the ground, putting it out with his sandal. "This has nothing to do with you, Uchiha-san."

"It does now."

"No," Sakura held out her hand, grabbing his arm, her eyes glued onto Shikamaru's with acceptance. "If this is what you need, then we'll fight."

"Sakura," Itachi's voice was serious as he spoke to her. "It is none of my business what happened between yourself and Nara-san, but I advise that you do not go through with this."

She ignored him for a moment by walking around him until she was in front of Shikamaru, looking up at him determinedly. "You're right, _Uchiha_. This _is_ none of your business."

Oh, just because he thought he had 'saved' her, it didn't mean she had forgiven him.

This… was something Shikamaru needed, even though Sakura couldn't understand how it would help him in the long run. However, he was still grieving and she understood that agony so well that it _hurt_. So if he needed to take his anger and pain out on someone, she would rather it be her than anyone else.

_Ino would never forgive her if she hurt him too much._

Nobody else would think that way.

She ducked at the fist flying towards her and her leg swept out, but Shikamaru was quick to jump over it and put some distance between them. His hands flew through several seals and once they were done, Sakura had to leap into the air in order to avoid the shadow sowing jutsu. Just as one of them scraped her, however, she quickly used the substitution jutsu, replacing herself with a log.

The killing intent from within Shikamaru was back.

And she could sense that Itachi was lingering around, despite the fact that he was no longer in view. Possibly so that neither of them killed each other.

Sakura came at him from above, raising her leg as high as it would go and Shikamaru just barely managed to avoid her foot as she swung it down. The ground shook and crumbled under her strength, but she didn't focus on it for long and shot after him, not allowing him the distance he was trying to create.

But…

He was a genius, even in his grief stricken mind.

As soon as she reached a certain point, Sakura's eyes widened in horror as he made a single seal and explosions began to off. When he'd found the time to set those up, she would never know, as she was too busy making sure she wasn't caught in the explosions. Losing a limb would mean her career as a shinobi was over. That couldn't happen.

She promised Ino she would make her proud.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura clenched her fist and rammed it into the ground, using the quake to throw Shikamaru off balance and during the distraction, she ran towards him and managed to grab his arm, easily launching him across the training fields. He spun in the air, trying to control his momentum, but it didn't work. Once more, she appeared above him and threw her fist forward without much chakra and in response, he crashed into the ground, coughing harshly as the fall winded him.

Sakura landed several feet away from him. "Ino wouldn't want this, Shikamaru."

"Shut… the hell up," he muttered darkly, wiping the spit from his chin.

"No," she replied simply, watching him sit up. "You need to accept that her death wasn't anyone's fault but her own – Ino accepted that herself and it's why she took the attack that was meant for _you_ and Choji."

"I said…" Shikamaru pulled himself to his feet and when he looked to her, rage shone brightly on his features. "Shut the hell up!"

There was hardly any time to dodge the shadow sowing jutsu this time, as it was fuelled completely by his anger and pain and Sakura yelped quietly as it slammed through her side, tearing her shirt and cutting her deeply.

She staggered backwards, a hand clutching at her side.

"Fight back," Shikamaru snarled. "You can do better than that, Sakura."

_No._

_You need this too much._

However, just as the black shadow came back for her, ready to pierce through her middle, a loud roar of _pure anger_ shook the grounds and it had them _all_ freezing and coming back to themselves.

"No way…" she whispered, eyes going wide. "It can't be!"

Shikamaru took a half step back. "Naruto, you…!"

Sakura spun around, ready to yell at him to leave them to it, but it was as she feared.

Red chakra was covering his entire body and Naruto was crouched low, elongated nails digging into the ground. The harsh look of hatred was so foreign on his features and it terrified her, even when Sasuke appeared by his side, Sharingan activated and a curse falling from his lips.

He didn't have time to make eye contact, because the two tails that suddenly sprouted from the Kyuubi's cloak lashed out, striking him and throwing him backwards.

In an instant, Itachi was by her side.

"Naruto-" she tried to call out to him, but Sasuke pulled himself to his feet and shook his head.

"It's no use, Sakura," he told her. "As soon as the third tail starts to grow, Naruto loses consciousness. You're looking at the Kyuubi right now, not Naruto."

"But there's only two tails," she tried to argue.

Just as she did, the third tail caught her eye. It was lower than the rest, hidden behind him, but it was definitely there.

"What happened?" Shikamaru demanded. "You're supposed to be his watcher, Sasuke."

The accusation didn't sit well with him and it showed in his fierce glower. "What happened is Naruto picked up on your pathetic battle. The second he felt your killing intent, however, he was losing it. You knew that we were practising to control the Kyuubi's power today in the next training grounds. It's why they're currently closed."

That was true, Sakura realised with building dread. There hadn't been an 'in use' sign hanging at the gates, but it had been locked, leading her to leap over them. She simply thought the grounds keeper had forgotten to unlock them.

"How long?" Sakura asked breathlessly. "How long have you been trying to control it?"

"Two months now," he replied, eyes now fixed on the Kyuubi. It wasn't doing anything, just looking around with those sharp, red eyes. "We managed to keep control up until the second tail, instead of just the first."

Which meant…

"His seal was weakened," Itachi confirmed. "That is why he lost control so suddenly."

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered and then raised his hands when the Kyuubi shifted, glaring over at him. "Just stay out of the way. I can deal with this."

Stupid boy with his stupid pride, Sakura wanted to yell. If he could manage it, then it would be _managed_ already, instead of him being batted away like he was nothing but an annoying bug.

At the last second, just as they were certain Naruto was about to attack Sasuke, he shot towards Shikamaru on all fours, his hands digging into the dirt and his feet being used to launch himself forward, creating more speed.

"Naruto, stop," she all but screamed. "Don't hurt him!"

But it wasn't Naruto.

Before they could stop her, Sakura dashed forward and shoved Shikamaru behind herself, catching Naruto's fist with her bare hand.

Around them, in response to their strengths, to their clashing chakra, the ground crumbled. The burning was agonising, but she forced herself to ignore it as she stared into his blood red eyes.

The eyes of the Kyuubi.

"Get a hold of yourself, Naruto," she demanded and tightened her hold as he tried to pull away.

Sasuke appeared behind them, finally managing to create eye contact with him.

_But it didn't work._

Sakura was horrified as a vicious grin pulled at Naruto's distorted features. His once handsome smile was now a horrible grin, one that screamed the sadistic, hateful nature of the Kyuubi.

"Four tails, Sasuke," Itachi informed him. "Have you ever dealt with him at this state?"

Reluctantly, Sasuke shook his head.

She held her breath as the strength increased and her arm shook under the pressure, her wrist and fingers cracking painfully. Other than her slight cry and wince, she did not allow it to show too much.

Itachi grabbed her shirt and dragged her backwards, breaking the battle of strengths and when the Kyuubi stumbled due to no longer leaning on her shaking arm, his foot swung out, landing a firm kick to the stomach, knocking the Kyuubi backwards. In an instant, he was on him, towering over Naruto as he crumbled to the bottom of a tree trunk.

His sharingan activated once their eyes met.

Much to their horror, four tails shot up beneath him and Itachi had to break eye contact in order to put distance between them.

Tears threatened to fill her eyes as Naruto crouched forward once more, a low scream escaping him through gritted teeth as his skin began peeling off, as blood caused the already red chakra to darken.

They could no longer see Naruto.

"At this rate, we will need someone with the Mangekyō," Itachi told them. "Avoid all contact with it, especially the tails. It will only take one hit to kill you."

Never before had she witnessed such a state and Sakura was frozen in her place as a fifth tail started to push itself out.

_It couldn't be possible!_

_All of this because of their fight…_

Her wide, horrified eyes met Shikamaru's, but he was too focused on the Kyuubi. He was kneeling on the ground, hands clasped tightly into a single seal and as she recognised it, Sakura felt her breath leave her.

Because it seemed the Kyuubi recognised it, too.

And there was no Choji to keep the attacker away.

The shadow sowing jutsu shot towards it, but the Kyuubi was quick enough to dodge them like it was nothing but child's play. Shikamaru's shadows weren't effective enough, Sakura realised and the second she saw that his life was at risk again, she was pushing as much chakra throughout her body as possible and throwing herself forward, shoulder barging Naruto away from the Nara.

_No, it wasn't Naruto!_

Pinning him to the ground was almost impossible, what with the Kyuubi's chakra burning her skin, but she managed to do so. She could feel her hair tie snapping and her hair raising way above her head in response to the Kyuubi's raw power, but that was the last thing she was worried about at that moment in time.

"Get a hold of yourself," she growled, grabbing his fists and slamming them into the ground, ignoring how it gave way to her brute strength. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Sakura!"

She nodded once, pushing more chakra out and weighing herself down, keeping the Kyuubi pinned as Sasuke managed to dash over to them. Part of her felt like yelling at him when he placed a piece of paper onto Naruto's forehead, but she noticed the seal written on it and knew that it was something their former sensei had created. She'd recognise the shitty handwriting anywhere.

The Kyuubi suddenly roared and summoned its own chakra, managed to throw both herself and Sasuke backwards.

And she felt the breath whoosh out of Itachi viciously as he caught her, as she slammed straight into his chest and knocked him to the ground. Sakura made a mental note to thank him later, for he made an obvious effort to keep her from touching the ground by wrapping his arms around her and keeping her close to his chest. It was as though he was being mindful of her injuries and doing his best to keep the damage to a minimum.

There was shaking, but whether it was him or her, Sakura couldn't tell. She was guessing it to be something completely different, however, because Itachi was suddenly turning, pinning her to the ground and shielding her body with his own, covering her head with his arms.

"_Itachi! Sakura!"_

"_Stop, Naruto!"_

Unbearable heat washed over them both and her heart stopped when she looked up and saw his features, saw the raw agony that caused his entire body to tremble on top of hers. A shout of pain was barely held back as Itachi gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

The activation of her seal was near-automatic, as were the movements of her hands as they reached up, one cupping his cheek and the other pressing to his chest, over his heart.

Green healing chakra enveloped the pair of them and Sakura shut her eyes in concentration, focusing hard on her task.

"_Ninpō: Sōzō Saisei!"_

The markings of her seal travelled along her body and where her hands connected to his body, the seal touched, soon moving along Itachi's body, too.

When his breath left him and she felt him relax, Sakura looked up, giving Itachi a small smile. The look on his face, in his eyes, was awe. It showed her his admiration.

And then the beast bomb went off, but it was like they were locked inside a cocoon of chakra that protected them, healing them instantaneously at the slightest amount of damage. The closeness of their bodies, the fact that she could feel his breath on her lips and his body squashed down on top of hers, didn't occur to Sakura for she was too concerned about the continuous flow of chakra – if it stopped too soon, they would die. It was plain and simple.

It felt like forever was passing them by, like time had frozen and just as her ears began to ring in response to the explosion, her chakra healed the damage caused to her eardrums.

"How long?" he breathed.

_How long can you keep this up for?_

Honestly, Sakura had no idea. Never before had she or Tsunade used _Sōzō Saisei_ to such extremes.

She would pay for it dearly later on, though.

At the moment, all they could do was hope.

There was a roar somewhere amongst the explosion and grunts of pain, but she was unable to look to see what happened. With Itachi's arms wrapped around her head and his forehead pressed to hers, blocking out all the light, it felt as though they were hiding from it all. For a brief second she felt safe.

And then just as quickly as it had been summoned and sent towards them, the explosion ended and the pair were stunned that the entire training grounds was completely destroyed. They were at the bottom of a crater that felt impossibly deep.

Once she was certain they were safe, Sakura stopped the healing chakra, breathing harshly.

She would pay for that soon, she knew already.

Itachi tested the waters first by standing and once he was certain it was safe, he pulled Sakura to her feet, continuing to hold her close.

"What do we do?" she asked shakily. "We can't stop him."

He nodded, agreeing with her and if she wasn't already in a state of shock, Sakura would have been floored by his admission. He was admitting that he, Uchiha Itachi, wasn't strong enough to stop him.

"I sent out a crow when you managed to restrain the Kyuubi," Itachi informed her.

Once more, he pulled her closer, knocking the breath out of Sakura as he managed to make the leap out of the crater. Had it been herself, it would have taken several leaps and a bit of climbing, since the crater had to be over a hundred feet deep.

As soon as they landed outside of the crater, she noticed something new.

"Oi, oi," came a low sounding chuckle, "don't tell me that's all you can do, Kyuubi. I was hoping for a challenge, not a warm up."

Sakura's wide, horrified eyes only widened further at the sight of Shisui standing on a branch in a nearby tree. He had a hand resting on his hip and a cocky expression on his face – something she had never witnessed before.

The response to Shisui's taunt was the loading of another beast bomb and part of her was petrified, because she definitely didn't have enough chakra left to heal anyone from one of those – there'd be nothing left to heal unless she pulled that stunt again. However, just as she was about to yell for him to run, to dodge the beast bomb, Sasuke and Shikamaru moved away, stopping with trying to keep the beast distracted and Shisui stunned her by darting straight for Naruto. She could have sworn that time itself slowed down as he leapt over the beast bomb once it was launched at him like it was nothing but a kunai, spinning sideways for a moment as he made a single seal.

And it was like something exploded out of him. Something that was green and holy shit it was _huge!_

Sakura staggered backwards from the sheer power that oozed from the chakra being and by her side, she heard Itachi murmur the name 'Susanoo' with awe and pride.

The beast bomb suddenly exploded behind Shisui and Sakura raised her arm, protecting her eyes from the debris, but in the form of Susanoo, he barely felt a thing and from the smoke, a large green hand shot out, wrapping about Naruto's cloaked form and lifting him, forcing him to make eye contact.

_"Obey, Kyuubi!"_

How…

How was he able to do what Itachi and Sasuke couldn't?

"The Mangekyō," Itachi answered her unspoken question. "The Kyuubi responds to the normal sharingan up until the fourth tail, it seems. After that, only somebody with the Mangekyō can control it."

She watched worriedly as Naruto came back to himself, as he fell to the ground in a trembling mess of limbs. The agony he was in had to be extreme, she realised and the second she did, Sakura was running over to him, leaping over the trees that were pulled from their roots and now littered the fields. He was still trembling and a terrible sweat was washing over him, the sight of Naruto almost caused her stomach to empty itself.

"Don't worry, Naruto," she murmured, setting her hands over his body. Green chakra once more emitted from them, targeting his wounds. "I'll heal you."

"You…" he grunted and shook once more. "Why were you fighting…?"

Sakura shook her head despite the fact he wasn't looking at her. Naruto kept his forehead to the ground with his eyes squeezed shut and it wasn't until five minutes had passed that he gradually began to feel less of the pain.

"The training grounds are supposed to be shut today," Shisui told them seriously, standing over Sakura and Naruto. "Why were you in here, Sakura?"

"I needed some space," she replied, not focusing on them but instead on Naruto's wounds. "I needed some time to myself."

"Your lack of observation could have cost you your life."

"Shisui," Itachi murmured and shook his head. "Do not blame Sakura."

Oh, so he knew what had happened then, Sakura realised when nothing more was said. Apparently Itachi _wasn't_ completely made of ice, because he managed to open up to Shisui about things.

It wasn't until Naruto was breathing normally that she pulled away, chakra completely spent. It seemed all she ever did lately was fight. Today alone, she'd been involved in one _real_ spar and two fights that could have ended badly – all on top of returning home from their mission just that morning.

Unsteadily, Naruto sat up straight, smiling his thanks at Sakura. He wasn't healed one hundred percent, but she'd gone after all the serious injuries. He was still left with a few cuts and bruises.

But then his smile slipped away as he gazed downwards, his blue eyes darkening.

"So that's where you've been."

She followed his line of sight and was horrified to find that most of her outfit had been burned away and torn during the beast bomb attack. Sakura's hand came up to her tattoo, covering it, but her frown was the only answer her boys needed.

"You?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes narrowed. "_You're_ a member of ANBU now?"

Silence.

She couldn't vocally admit to anything.

Itachi's outfit was in no better condition, she noticed after looking up at the two older Uchiha. However, it made sense. She was only able to heal the human body, not the outfits covering them. Sakura had never felt so exposed before, though. Pretty much her entire shirt was gone, leaving her in the now tattered black mesh vest underneath. Thankfully, it covered her breasts and the single strap over her shoulder stopped it from falling too low, even though her stomach was now on show as well as the top of her breasts. As for her skirt… Well, it was no more, leaving her in nothing but her shorts and even they were smaller now, much to her horror.

"Here," Sasuke suddenly sighed and removed his sweatshirt. "Cover yourself up."

"Can't you tell us anything?" Naruto asked as she gratefully pulled the sweatshirt on. Just as they'd thought it would, it fell to her thighs. Oh she was _so_ grateful for her boys' growth spurts, even if it left her looking short. "How did you get into it?"

Her mouth opened, but the look Shisui sent her way had her closing it again.

They couldn't share anything about ANBU.

"Sakura, come," Itachi ordered.

She shook her head stubbornly and her fists clenched around the strands of grass, tearing them from the soil. "Not until I've spoken to them."

"You cannot go into detail about ANBU," he told her.

Where the hell did he get off ordering her around? Sakura thought grumpily. After his stunt earlier that day, he had _no right_ to boss her around like they were more than just… No, they weren't even friends. They were nothing but teammates.

She stood up, glaring at him angrily and about to let all of hell break loose, when suddenly, Itachi pulled on her hand, yanking her closer to him and her cheeks _burned_ when his other arm wrapped around her waist, soon slipping to her thighs and picking her up. All she could think about was how intimate the movement seemed and how inappropriate it probably looked to her former teammates, Shisui and Shikamaru.

_He was holding her bridal style, for goodness sake!_

"Do not disobey me," he murmured lowly.

They were out of the clearing before she could even think of a reply.

Don't disobey…

Her fists clenched tightly.

Sure, she'd saved his life from the beast bomb, but that was because underneath all the anger, he… He was her teammate. Her captain. Not only that, but he was a Konoha-nin. Of course she would risk life and limb to protect and save him.

That _did not mean_ that he was forgiven, though.

The second she was placed down onto her feet, Sakura couldn't and didn't stop herself from spinning, landing a well-earned punch to the face. Itachi staggered backwards momentarily, not expecting such a reaction, but soon sighed and stood up straight.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" snarled Sakura, visibly trembling with anger.

Lucky for him, she hadn't used any chakra (more like couldn't). It'd still hurt, though.

"I came to apologise," Itachi told her. "My behaviour was unacceptable and I understand if you do not accept my apology. However, please know that I am genuinely sorry for my rudeness."

All anger evaporated. She simply didn't have the energy for it and his apology _was_ genuine and sincere. It was obvious in his eyes and the fact he hadn't reprimanded her for attacking him. Sakura fell back against the tree, rubbing her arm restlessly. "What was that all about, Itachi? It was… It was like an ambush."

There was a pause in his response and too late did she realise there was once more no added honorific to his name. He didn't comment on it, however. Apparently he was over the tantrum. "After our kiss, I was informed of your closeness with Shisui."

"Yeah, I figured that much out," she muttered grumpily. "But _why_ would you believe something like that? Can't a guy and a girl be friends nowadays without everyone assuming they're in a relationship?"

"Of course," replied Itachi easily.

"Then what-"

She sucked in a breath, eyes going wide as the effects of Sōzō Saisei began. Her entire body trembled, muscles cramping and her insides ached something vicious. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura noticed Itachi shift closer, frowning in concern.

She raised a hand, stopping his advance. "I think… It'd be best if we didn't," Sakura told Itachi quietly, willing away the aches. "I didn't mean to…" She shook her head, struggling for words as the effects steadily increased, "to lead you on, or make you believe that I'm _that_ kind of girl." Lowering her hand, she brought it down to her arm, rubbing it. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" When she nodded, Itachi sighed. "You have nothing to apologise for, Sakura. I could have pushed you away, but I didn't. I shouldn't have allowed my emotions to get the best of me, but I did."

Sakura rolled her eyes, looking vaguely annoyed. "You're only human, Itachi. It's okay to make the wrong decisions."

Her words caused him to pause, caused him to watch her with a strange expression that she couldn't understand and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. Had nobody ever told him that before? That it was okay to screw up every once in a while? Nobody was perfect, after all.

_Shit…_

It was getting difficult to see straight and Sakura knew what was coming, so was grateful that she was still leaning against the tree.

Apparently when using Sōzō Saisei to such extremes, it increased the suffering you went through afterwards. At least she found that out for her shishou. She simply wondered how long she'd be out cold for this time.

"Sakura," he suddenly called her name.

All worries about him disappeared completely, however, as the ground disappeared from beneath her and Sakura didn't have the time to so much as cry out in agony before darkness swallowed her whole.


	21. I Know You

**Chapter 21**

**I Know You**

* * *

"You stupid, awful boy!"

Kushina's anger could be heard throughout the entire Hokage Tower and Sasuke wouldn't even deny that he pitied Naruto, as he himself almost shrunk back slightly at the pure malice in her voice. It was the screech of a mother who was worried sick, yet angered beyond belief at the stupidity of her son.

"Look at the state of you," she yelled. "Look at yourself!" It seemed as though she struggled for a moment, her hands grabbing at the air until she reached forward and gripped her son's shoulders, shaking him. "Don't you understand how dangerous it is to trust the Kyuubi, Naruto? We could have lost you! Your father and I would be lost without you, you know!"

"Kushina-san." Rin frowned softly.

By her side, Obito placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, his lone eye watching the scene before them silently.

They must have just returned from a mission, Sasuke thought as he took in the sight of their team. As always, Rin was untouched, though the same couldn't be said for Obito and Kakashi, whose uniforms needed to be stitched back together _again._ He wasn't sure as to why they didn't just buy new clothes, but then again, if they always had to buy new stuff then it would cost a lot of money. Kakashi was stingy as hell.

The only reason why they were there was because Uchiha Fugaku had all but frogmarched everyone into the office, throwing Naruto in front of Minato with a fierce glower and disrupting their meeting.

"_This is the last time I am saying this, Hokage: your son _must_ learn how to control the Kyuubi, or else we will seal its power within him permanently so that he will be unable to use it."_

It probably seemed unfair, because they weren't saying the same about or to Kushina, who was the vessel of the other half of the Kyuubi. However, the only time she ever relied on the Kyuubi's power was in extremely dire circumstances, one where she had no other choice. On the other hand, there was Naruto, who always allowed his emotions to get the best of him, effectively giving the Kyuubi leverage. Granted, he'd been doing his best to help the blond take control of the Kyuubi's chakra, to harness it and use it whichever way he pleased, but… It wasn't as simple as that – they'd found that out today.

"Kushina," Minato's voice was serious as he spoke to his wife, "Naruto and Sasuke-kun had my permission to try and control the Kyuubi's chakra."

At the narrowing of his own father's eyes, Sasuke resisted the urge to scowl. How the hell had he known about the situation, anyway? Shisui had sworn to him that he hadn't told Fugaku and since Itachi had more or less abducted Sakura the moment the battle was over, he was willing to bet anything that he hadn't, either.

"If it weren't for Shisui, there is no telling what would have happened," Fugaku snapped in response. "You risked the entire village by allowing such a thing, _Hokage_."

That had actually been one of Minato's greatest concerns and why he put off their idea for so long: them training in such close proximity to the village. It was why _all_ of the training grounds were out of bounds, despite the fact they were using Team Seven's old grounds.

Team Seven…

Sasuke gritted his teeth. Team Seven was done. It was over. Without Sakura, there was no Team Seven. He knew better than to hurl accusations at that moment, however. It would compromise Sakura's position in ANBU if he let it slip in front of so many people that she was now an operative for them. It could risk her life and even though he was _pissed_ that she had made it to ANBU, that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

_But how could she abandon their team?_

"This was only supposed to be temporary," Minato replied coolly, his blue eyes narrowing fractionally. "It seems the Kazekage's son, Gaara-kun, is now in full control of the Ichibi."

Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing about the psycho.

He would be on a whole other level of dangerous now.

"In order to strengthen our ties with Suna, I was intending on sending Naruto to Suna to train with Gaara-kun."

Naruto broke eye contact with Sasuke as his eyes went comically wide, snapping to his father's. "Are you _crazy? He'll slaughter me!"_

"Naruto," Kushina scolded. "Don't interrupt your father."

"I understand that there is history there. The Kazekage and I were discussing such in our latest correspondence. To try and steady the situation, we have both agreed on sending two teams alongside Naruto and Gaara-kun."

As expected of the younger blond, he narrowed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest, muttering daringly, "I want Sakura-chan on that team."

Shisui glanced down at the two younger men before his eyes moved back to the Hokage, nodding once.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes when Minato looked to him.

"Where is Sakura?" Kakashi questioned conversationally. "I heard this started because of my favourite, adorable student."

"Like hell it did," Naruto snarled, spinning quickly and glaring over in Shikamaru's direction. "This all started because _he_ can't accept things for what they are. He attacked Sakura-chan!"

By just the faintest amount, Minato's eyes narrowed as they shifted over to Shikamaru, who was standing in his usual slouch to the side of the large group. "Is this true, Shikamaru-kun?"

He nodded once, answering simply, "Yes."

His response only pissed Naruto off further. "Ino died for all of you, Shikamaru. It wasn't Sakura-chan's fault. Why can't you see that? Why are you still blaming her?"

His fists shook minutely before they were shoved into his trousers and Sasuke had to clench his jaw in order to hold back his own words. Only, he wouldn't hold back as much as Naruto currently was. Believe it or not, this was tame for the blond. He was capable of going way above his current level of anger. He was capable of being much harsher than he currently was.

The Uchiha noticed Kakashi's eye also narrowing, but instead of angrily, he appeared thoughtful. What did he have in mind? What was he planning?

"If I may?" Rin raised her hand, leaning forward so that everyone could see her. When Minato nodded his head at his former student, she stepped forward and turned to face the group. "I think it would be best to hold your tongue, Naruto-kun. I know Sakura-chan is your friend and you care for her, but that is how Shikamaru-kun felt about Ino-chan. How would you feel, had your roles been reversed?"

That wasn't a fair question, Sasuke thought angrily and like he'd been expecting, it pissed Naruto even more. The sight of him getting angry had Obito glaring over at him with a look that promised pain, daring him to talk back to Rin.

Kushina nodded, her hand over her heart. "Ino-chan was dear to a lot of people, but the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans are almost inseparable. A lot has changed since her death."

Lifeless brown eyes stared straight ahead. "Is that all, Hokage-sama?"

Part of Sasuke couldn't even help but sympathise with the guy in that moment, even though they'd never seen eye to eye. Since Ino's death, it was like he'd been trapped in a world of depression and anger. He simply… wasn't who he used to be. He couldn't imagine being stuck in such a horrendous place.

Minato sighed. "Yes, Shikamaru-kun. You are dismissed."

He left without another word, without a backward glance.

"Something must be done about Nara-san," Shisui stated seriously. "According to Itachi, he attacked Sakura without warning and with killing intent."

Naruto nodded quickly. "That's why I lost it, Dad. She wouldn't even fight back with her full strength. He could've killed her."

"Itachi wouldn't have allowed that to happen," Sasuke muttered and rolled his eyes. "Not under his watch."

"But why was he watching her?" questioned Fugaku.

Why indeed, he agreed.

Unless…

No, it couldn't be.

Discreetly, he looked in Shisui's direction. From what he'd gathered, they were on the same team. He'd seen Shisui with Sakura a few times around the village and they were always heading in the direction of the training grounds. It was a strange sight, but if he was helping her improve, who was he to judge? The older Uchiha wasn't stupid enough to share their clan's secrets and jutsu and he knew from personal experience that he was a good teacher.

His brother also spent a lot of time with Shisui and he knew for definite that Itachi was an ANBU captain. However, wouldn't it have made more sense for Shisui to be captain of the team?

"Kakashi," Minato sighed and glanced over at his former students, "I expect a full report tomorrow morning. It may be best that we cut this report short, I think."

He nodded and smiled cheerfully, single eye creasing.

They all knew he was going home to read his porn.

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

He was gone in a matter of seconds, whereas Obito's upper lip curled at his friend's bad habit and the fact he didn't particularly care about others knowing of it. Small hands wrapping around his arm took his attention away from Kakashi, however and his eye warmed at the sight of the brunette.

"Shall we go for tea and dango now, Obito?"

He smiled. "My treat."

That was a relationship Sasuke still couldn't fully grasp. Why would a woman like Rin settle for a loser like Obito? Then again, she wasn't all that powerful herself. She wasn't able to fight on the front lines and at best, her medical ninjutsu was just above average. She was the weakest member of that team.

Many within the Uchiha Clan held a strong disliking for Obito for so easily handing over his Sharingan to a non-Uchiha. So what if he was dying (or thought he was dying)? Under no circumstances were you allowed to hand over the clan's secrets or jutsu and that included their most prized possession. He was a traitor to the clan in their eyes, but because he was the Hokage's student, he was untouchable and unpunishable. Honestly, Sasuke sometimes thought that it would have been better that he _had_ died under that boulder. At least Obito wouldn't have to experience the hatred of the clan elders and many of the other clansmen.

"Fugaku-san, thank you for bringing them to me. It is fortunate that you happened to be close by and heard the commotion. You are now dismissed."

Fugaku's eyes twitched, like they were about to narrow and against his biceps, his fists clenched. "Hokage-sama."

Was it just him… or did it seem like his father was hiding something? Something that Minato knew about? It was in the tension in the air, in the way they worded their sentences.

Sasuke stored the knowledge away, determined on looking further into it. For now, however, they had more important matters to deal with and he wondered how long it would take his teammate to explode with rage.

But there was no anger as Naruto looked down at his father, waiting until the door was shut behind Fugaku. There was no murderous rage. All that showed on his features was betrayal and hurt. "How could you?" he murmured the second the door was shut and his eyebrows knitted together.

"Naruto, I had no-"

"Bullshit!"

Ah, there was the anger.

"Naruto," Kushina scolded him, but she was cut off from saying anything further.

"Sakura-chan… She isn't cut out for ANBU," he snarled harshly and his fists slammed down onto the desk, causing Minato's now cold coffee to spill. "She hasn't got the heart for it." Naruto was soon gripping the desk, almost as though he was holding himself back from attacking his own father. "Her death will be on _your_ hands," he spat. "And that's something I'll never be able to forgive."

Sasuke remained silent, but he liked to believe the look in his eyes told them all that he agreed with Naruto.

If ANBU didn't physically kill Sakura, then it would emotionally and mentally and he couldn't decide which was worse. He'd rather Sakura died than lost herself to that darkness.

"He may be your father, Naruto-kun, but he is also the Hokage." Shisui's eyes were serious as the blond turned to face him, narrowing as blue connected with dark. "You will show our Hokage respect."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Stop acting like a spoilt brat, then," he retorted coldly. "What Sakura is involved with has nothing to do with you."

_Where were the honorifics?_ Sasuke inwardly questioned.

"And what about Itachi, huh?" Naruto snarled, fists clenching and trembling. "Why the hell was he watching Sakura-chan? Why did he run off with her?"

Minato looked up at his wife, who frowned down him worriedly.

"Let me reiterate my previous sentence. What or _who_ Sakura is involved with has nothing to do with you."

Sasuke's eyes went wide and he felt his stomach twist sharply in disgust. "What does that mean?" he spat. "Are you saying they're together?"

_She was the same fucking age as himself!_

"Do not raise your voice at me, Sasuke. You know better," Shisui told him simply, eyes cold and unmoving. "You are both acting like children. Grow up. It is unbefitting of shinobi to behave in such a way."

After a pause, Kushina spoke up and when she did, her features were set into an unimpressed glower. "Either way, this is Sakura-chan's life and while you're her teammates, you-"

"We're not, though. Are we?" Naruto questioned quietly and looked over at his father. "We were, but then you put her in ANBU. You tore our team apart."

"There's no more Team Seven." Sasuke shrugged, but couldn't deny that, despite his indifferent display, something tugged at his heart.

_What were they supposed to do now?_

"Naruto-"

"Save your bullshit," he snapped angrily and stomped over to the door, throwing it open. "I don't wanna hear it!"

Sasuke, while angry himself, chose to be less dramatic as he followed the blond. When passing Shisui, however, he couldn't stop himself from glaring up at him, from gritting his teeth and then clenching his jaw. All the while, the older Uchiha stared him down, not fazed in the least.

And it pissed him the hell off.

* * *

"Mm…"

Looking up from the book, Itachi sighed and turned back to it. Another false alarm.

How long had she been unconscious for? At least an hour. What was keeping Tsunade? Itachi thought that she would have been there in seconds to check her student over. Maybe that meant it wasn't serious, though? Perhaps the fact that the blonde was taking her time meant Sakura fainted often?

Her seal – Sōzō Saisei, to be more exact – had healed them both of all wounds, meaning there would be no internal damage and or head injuries. However, Sakura had been in a frightful amount of pain before collapsing and her seal vanished from sight. For some reason, she'd continued to talk with him, wanting to get everything out in the open.

Stubborn.

Why was she so stubborn?

A small smirk pulled at his lips. Sakura's stubborn nature was something he wasn't sure on how to handle, but somehow managed to in the end (or when it really mattered, at least).

They were situated in her home. It had taken a moment to enter the property, as the genjutsu had been surprisingly complex – another thing to compliment her on. Not only had she handled the situation with the Kyuubi admirably, but also the protection of herself and her home.

Instead of focusing on herself, Sakura had acted on her instincts and those instincts were to protect others. Even while fighting the Kyuubi, she was mindful of the fact that it was still Naruto's body and any extensive damage, he would feel later on. She had risked her life by pushing Sōzō Saisei so far. Even after all he had put her through.

Itachi sighed and shut his eyes momentarily, but soon looked up at the plain ceiling, the book he was reading long forgotten about as it sat in his lap.

It was impossible, but he felt as though he'd been there before – in her bedroom, he meant. Leaving her on the sofa hadn't felt right and not knowing where else to take Sakura, he brought her home and put her to bed, where she could rest and recover comfortably and in peace. The feeling in his gut… It reminded him of déjà vu. But it was impossible. He'd never entered Sakura's bedroom before and until an hour ago, hadn't even known what it looked like. Whatever it was, while annoying, it was also comforting. It felt like a… almost like a safe haven. Somewhere safe, where they could be themselves without the added troubles of being elite shinobi and members of ANBU no less.

A swift knock at the front door stole his attention from his absurd thoughts and, recognising the chakra signature with ease, Itachi stood, leaving the book in his chair and making his way to the door, opening it without pause.

"How is she?"

Tsunade brushed her way passed him, heading straight for the bedroom. Behind her, her haori floated in the air, a clear indication of how fast she was walking. Itachi shut the door silently and followed after her, not bothering to rush.

"She is still unconscious."

The blonde nodded and sat down on the side of the bed once in the bedroom, her hand coming out and removing the damp wash cloth he'd placed on Sakura's forehead. The way she tenderly brushed the pink hair from her face and took note of the lack of seal stunned Itachi for a moment, but he didn't allow it to show. For such an angry, strong woman, she was acting incredibly gentle with her student.

"Stupid girl," she sighed. "Stop making this old woman worry about you."

Green chakra enveloped the hand that was now placed over Sakura's forehead and Tsunade shut her eyes in concentration, but then glared over in his direction.

"Get rid of those idiots, will you? Sakura needs to rest."

So she had sensed their fast approaching chakra, also? "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Itachi headed towards the front door once more, catching it without pause as it burst open. The next thing he caught was the back of Naruto's orange jacket when he tried to rush by him and into the apartment, throwing him backwards and back out of the door, straight into a surprised Sasuke. They grunted at the collision, falling back into the wall opposite and during their startled, angered outbursts, Itachi remained silent, waiting patiently while they righted themselves.

Then, he told them in simple terms, "Tsunade-sama is currently examining Sakura. You will have to return later, when she has awakened, if you wish to talk with her."

Naruto caught the door as he began to shut it, staring up at him with a vicious glower. "Just tell us one thing, Uchiha Itachi."

He didn't need his Sharingan to predict what would happen next.

When Naruto paused, Sasuke spoke, his eyes narrowing, "What is Sakura to you?"

He raised an eyebrow fractionally. "What Sakura is to me is none of your concern."

"The hell it isn't!"

"Oh?" Itachi questioned softly. "Do tell me why you feel as though you have some form of ownership over her, Naruto-kun."

"She…" The blond gritted his teeth, growling, "She's my friend."

"I see." He nodded once and looked to the hand still gripping the door. "Please remove your hand before I do so forcefully."

Blue eyes shot to his, narrowing dangerously. "Is that a threat?"

It was instinctively that his Sharingan activated and wisely, Sasuke took a step back, understanding that he was not to push his luck any further. "You tell me, Naruto-kun."

After a long pause, one where Naruto seemed to weigh up his options and odds at winning in a match against Itachi, the blond growled under his breath and pushed off from the door, yanking his hand back to himself.

"Don't think I'm backing down," he snapped. "I'm only listening for now because Sakura-chan needs to rest."

Itachi remained silent. As he had thought when Tsunade confronted him earlier: he owed no explanations to anybody about his and Sakura's relationship – or lack of. Whatever was happening was between them and nobody else, just as Shisui had told him. They would never figure things out for themselves if others were always getting involved.

Before they could say anymore, Itachi shut the front door, deactivating his Sharingan as he walked back to the bedroom.

Tsunade huffed with amusement the second he returned. "They're as possessive of her as ever, I take it." Honey brown eyes narrowed in a way that made it obvious she was enjoying the tension. "What do you make of that, Uchiha?"

It annoyed him, in all honesty. They truly believed that Sakura belonged to them.

_How foolish._

He stayed quiet.

Realising she wouldn't get a reply, Tsunade stood up once more and tossed the damp cloth over to him. He caught it without having to think about it.

"There's no brain damage. Get another one of those and make sure it's cooler than that. Sakura's body temperature is higher than usual, but that's just because of the pain she's in at the minute." There was a pause, one where she regarded him seriously yet coolly. "You should feel thankful – no, _honoured_ that she has put her body through such distress to keep you safe."

How could Tsunade possibly know of what happened?

"I'd say it will take at least twenty-four hours before the pain subsides."

"How long until she regains consciousness?"

"Who knows?" She shrugged. "Could be minutes, could be hours or it could be days. Even after waking, she could faint again due to the extreme depletion of chakra. She risked a lot by using Sōzō Saisei against a beast bomb, of all things. It should have blasted you both to smithereens in all honesty and I'm surprised my jutsu can withstand such pressure."

Helpful.

Like moments before, there was no reply and it was clear Tsunade was growing annoyed with his silence. That annoyance was forgotten as he sat down in his previous seat and reclaimed the book he'd been reading.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, hands on hips.

"As you said: Sakura is in this state because she took the risk of saving my life. Had it been just herself, there is every possibility that Sakura would be awake right now, or that her chakra wouldn't be as badly depleted."

Her left eyebrow twitched as her annoyance grew, but Itachi paid no attention. "So you're going to sit here until she wakes up, regardless of the fact it could be days?"

"Sakura is stubborn." A ghost of a smirk crossed his lips. "I doubt she will be unconscious for so long. There are more important things she could be doing."

It seemed Tsunade agreed, for she hummed with amusement. "Even though she is my student, I have no say in what she does with her personal life. All I can say, Uchiha, is that if you hurt her, or cause her upset again…" She looked down at him, a glint of malice in her honey brown eyes. "I will deal with you personally."

He turned the page of his book, eyes skimming the page as he murmured distractedly, "Of course, Tsunade-sama."

She gritted her teeth and spun on her heel, storming out of the apartment with clenching, trembling fists.

"_Damned Uchiha!_" He heard her snarl before slamming the door shut behind herself.

She didn't seem to be a fan of his clan, did she? Itachi held back a smirk. It was amusing winding her up, though, because she had the same temperament as Sakura and it was something he secretly enjoyed.

His dark eyes moved over to her and he frowned at the tension in her body, in the twitches of her features and the faint trembling that was soon taking over her. How much pain was she in?

Itachi felt disgusted with himself – even more than before – for the way he had treated Sakura. Not only was she _definitely_ not that kind of person, but on top of that, despite everything, she had risked her life to save his. There had been every chance that Sōzō Saisei would only be able to save her _if_ she was using all of her concentration and chakra on herself, but she still took the risk and saved his life. That was a debt he would never be able to repay.

And he was worse than scum, to be blunt.

Leaning forward and adjusting the covers around her body, he sighed and got up, placing the book down on the bedside table that was already cluttered. He had almost forgotten to change the face cloth. The process of doing so took mere seconds and once he returned, he was glad that the tremors had died down for the time being. Itachi gently placed the damp cloth on her forehead, brushing her hair backwards and away from her face before doing so.

Was it strange to admit that she looked prettier with her hair off her face?

He shut the thoughts down. After the past two days, it was hardly appropriate to be taking note of such things. And realising that his hand was lingering _too long_, he pulled it back, sitting down in his chair and going back to his book.

Soon enough, his eyes drifted back to Sakura when she shook once viciously, but what made him move was the tear that slipped down the side of her face and into her hair. It was the soft whimper that left her lips. It was like his body moved of its own accord as Itachi moved the chair closer to her bed, book dropping to the floor and he took her hand in his, trying his best to offer whatever possible comfort his cold, guarded heart could offer.

"Forgive me," he asked of her quietly.

More than anything, in that moment in time, he wished he could take her pain away, but he knew he wasn't able to do that. The best he could offer Sakura was training himself harder, was pushing himself even further beyond his limits so that the next time, he would be the one saving her. He would be able to prevent _a next time. _Itachi's other hand covered the back of hers, holding it between his hands gently.

All the while he was completely unaware of the red and black eyes staring into the apartment from the building opposite, narrowing fractionally at the latest developments.

* * *

It was during the night when she woke and Sakura almost wished she hadn't.

The last time, after a long sleep, she had woken up feeling fairly refreshed and with only a muted ache from being still for so long. This time… It felt as though her entire body was on fire. It felt like Tsunade had broken _every single one_ of her bones and was leaving them to heal naturally, without the use of any painkillers or healing chakra to numb the pain. Just summoning the strength to move her hands seemed impossible, Sakura inwardly whined as she wiped under her eyes, annoyed to find she'd been crying in her sleep.

A pause.

_Why couldn't she move her right hand?_

Terror washed through her but Sakura soon took a deep breath to calm herself when she realised that the reason she couldn't move her right hand was because Itachi was holding it. Gods, for a moment there she'd thought that-

Wait…

_Why was Itachi in her bedroom, holding her hand?_

He was looking down at their joined hands in deep thought, appearing lost in thought and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. Moving hadn't even caught his attention and she bit her lip worriedly, hoping he never did such a thing while on a mission.

_Of course he wouldn't!_

"I…" She swallowed hard and winced. Dehydration had kicked in a few hours ago, apparently. "…'tachi."

Languidly, his eyes moved away from their hands and met hers.

Green eyes blinked heavily.

He shook his head minutely and part of her snickered, amused to have seen him so out of it. "Forgive me, Sakura. I-"

Her free hand fell to their joined hands, weakly patting them. "W-Water."

Itachi nodded and stood, leaving the room and returning without breaking stride. Glass in one hand and a jug of water in the other.

Much to her surprise, he helped her to sit up, moving her slowly and allowing her to take her time. Then, once Itachi was certain she would be okay, he aided Sakura in drinking the water, holding the glass to her lips and tipped it back. His other hand was on the back of her head, offering more support. But still, his eyes were distant, like he was lost in a memory. She raised a hand with the intention of holding his hand once more.

The hand holding the glass disappeared, gripping the one reaching out for him and only too late did Itachi realise what he had done.

"Forgive me," he repeated.

_What was that about?_

"I will change the bedding," Itachi offered. There was no embarrassment, though. There was no blush or stammering or humiliation. He was stating things matter of factly. "Use me as support," he ordered while pulling back the covers. Honestly, she hadn't even realised they were soaked. The agony her body was going through was still too intense. "Hold onto me."

She did as she was told, legs weak and barely able to hold herself up. If it weren't for the support of holding onto Itachi's arms, leaning heavily against him, then she was certain she'd be on her ass and it angered her. Pushing her body to such extremes was dangerous – no, it was suicidal.

But…

They were alive because of it.

Just as Itachi was about to sit her in the chair by her bed, her hand once more reached out and this time, he didn't stop her as she cupped his cheek, tilting his head downwards.

"…Exhausted."

"I am fine."

No, he wasn't. "You should've…" She sucked in a breath and breathed out slowly as a stab of pain shot through her. "Should've gone home."

He shook his head.

"Fine." Even while in pain, Sakura managed to roll her eyes. "Wardrobe. There's an extra futon."

Fortunately for her, talking was growing easier, as was breathing. Itachi hovered for a moment, waiting to see if she was capable of sitting up without assistance before following her instructions of going to the wardrobe. As well as a futon rolled up at the bottom of it, there was also folded bed sheets.

He forced himself to be as quick as possible with changing the bedding, leaving the extra futon against the bed.

The now empty glass sat on the bedside table and Sakura tilted her head to the side, watching the Uchiha. He seemed… not exactly on edge, but something had definitely spooked him. No, not spooked. Startled. Yeah, that was a better word to use. Had it been while he was in deep thought? Or was she the one who had startled him?

Itachi sighed and turned, looking down at her. "I was meditating when you woke. Forgive me for reacting in such a way."

"With your eyes open?"

He nodded.

"Oh." Sakura wrapped an arm around his shoulders, deciding not to put up a fight as he snaked an arm under her knees and lifted her effortlessly just as he had earlier that day after the fight. Then, he settled her on top of the covers. "Itachi, don't beat yourself up over it. It's just water." Keeping hold of his shoulders, she shifted, trying to find a position that was comfortable. There wasn't one. "I'm curious, though. What were you…?"

Again, there was another sigh. "I was reminding myself of why it is important to keep pushing myself in training. Due to how frequent our missions are, I haven't had as much time to train." Reminding himself how? Before she could ask, he spoke, asking, "Are you hungry?"

No, but it would be best to eat something and she could tell from the look in Itachi's eyes that it was a rhetorical question. Memories of being force fed flashed through her mind and she smirked. "Starving."

The pain was easing. Not completely and she certainly wasn't comfortable, but for the time being it was manageable and for that, she was grateful. If it could just stay that way for while she was eating, or until she'd fallen back asleep…

It was silent as Itachi left the room, heading towards her kitchen and she bit her lip. There was definitely food in there, because she had bought some yesterday – he'd helped her carry it home, in fact. At least three and a half minutes went by before he was returning with a bowl and two cups of…

A blush stained her cheeks.

Two cups of instant ramen.

"For a medic, you eat rather unhealthy foods, Sakura." Despite his words, he took the time to pour her instant ramen into a bowl for her, making it easier for her to rest on her lap. Having to keep hold of the cup, even if it was light, would have been painful. "You should be taking better care of your body."

"It's my body," she muttered stubbornly under her breath. There was a pause in handing over the bowl as Sakura held out her hands. "I want to try and put it on my lap."

"Do not rush your recovery," he chided.

The look she settled him with was dry.

He sighed, holding onto the bowl until her hands brushed along his, taking the bowl carefully.

She smiled brightly and looked up at him, proud of herself and he returned the grin with a small smile.

"Now eat, Sakura," Itachi ordered and sat down, about to reach for his own ramen which was sitting on the bedside table.

However, right at the last moment, her body tightened and loosened all at once, causing her grip to loosen and she dropped the bowl, body tensing horribly. She didn't hear the bowl falling to the ground, clattering loudly and spilling the food and she didn't realise until he was holding her hand that Itachi had moved forward. A tortured cry left her lips, barely muted by her gritted teeth and clenched jaw and it felt like her entire body was tearing in half.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

It was so much worse than any time before.

Another hand joined in holding her, though she realised too soon that Itachi was trying to put her back into bed. Sakura shook her head quickly, harshly, though soon regretted it and another pained yell escaped her.

"Sleep through it, Sakura," he murmured to her, keeping his tone soothing. "I can put you to sleep for a few hours until the worst of it is over."

_She'd already slept through the worst of it._

A sweat broke out over her skin and she gripped at his shirt, her other hand returning his hold desperately.

"Please, Sakura." His voice held a small plea. "You're in too much pain."

She shook her head, a tremor running through her body. "N-No…"

Itachi frowned but didn't fight her, instead pulling her closer until her face was buried in his chest and his hand was in her hair, threaded through the pastel strands and keeping her still as another vicious, heavy tremor shook her. He did his best to hold her still, to keep her from hurting herself. It felt almost like a seizure. It felt like she had absolutely no control over her own body and she prayed and begged that that wasn't what was currently happening. The longer the spasms controlled her body, however, the more her heart quickened. The fact that she was still able to think clearly made it obvious that she wasn't actually suffering from a seizure, as did the fact she was still clinging to Itachi.

"Breathe," he ordered, his words no more than a whisper into her hair. "Breathe, Sakura."

Realising too late that she was holding her breath, which was the cause for the increasing of her heart rate and her panicking, Sakura sucked in a deep breath. Another spasm shook her and instinctively, she moved close to him, like a child desperately searching for comfort. Part of her even wanted to cry out for her mother.

There was no telling how long the spasms lasted for, but once she was able to catch her breath, to sit still for longer than two minutes, Sakura sighed, keeping her forehead pressed to his collarbone.

"Thank you for staying," she whispered gratefully with her fingers tangled in his shirt. "Thank you for not leaving me alone."

Hesitantly, after a moment of obvious thought, Itachi shifted his arms, the hold on her becoming more comforting than restraining.

* * *

A bloodcurdling scream had him on his feet before his eyes were even open, had him reaching into his half destroyed thigh holster and grabbing a kunai. Once he realised they were not about to be attacked, however, Itachi calmed his racing heart and glanced over to the bed, frowning at the sight of Sakura writhing on the bed, a tortured expression on her face.

A nightmare?

He walked over to her, regarding the movements of her features and body. Yes, definitely asleep. Itachi sighed and put the kunai back into his thigh holster.

It had been twelve hours since that terrifying episode that had seemingly taken over her body – and yes, that was him admitting to being afraid. There was no denying that he'd been scared. He was no medic. He had no way of helping her or easing the pain like she could do for everyone else. Also, during those twelve hours, he'd cleaned the mess of instant ramen that had been spilt.

Like earlier, the sight of her pain struck him hard and he sat down on the edge of her bed, just as Tsunade had and reached out. The sleep wasn't too deep, though, because Sakura's tear-filled eyes snapped open and she gripped his wrist with bruising strength. At least her strength was back, he thought, holding back a grimace of pain.

A simple pinch of her nerves broke the hold and he captured her wrists, forcing her to make eye contact.

"What happened?" he asked.

The tears that suddenly streamed down the sides of her face were not like earlier and she lunged for him, breaking the hold on her wrists and grabbing at him desperately.

"He's not going to make it," she cried, shaking against him. "There isn't much time left!"


	22. Come Back, I Need You!

**Chapter 22**

**Come Back, I Need You!**

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Naruto asked cautiously, choosing to stay right by her side.

It had only been half a day since her vicious nightmare and Sakura honestly couldn't blame him for being so nervous about seeing her on her feet and out the door already. Itachi hadn't been overly worried, though. In fact, he had spent an entire hour helping her stretch her muscles, just to ensure they wouldn't lock up while she was out.

That was what she liked about him. He didn't baby her, he pushed her. If Sakura was losing hope or her motivation and determination, then he forced her to regain it one way or another.

"Better." She smiled up at him. It saddened her when she noticed he'd had yet another growth spurt. What else had she missed? "What about you, huh? I'm sorry I couldn't heal you completely."

The blond frowned at her in disapproval and shook his head. "You shouldn't be worried about me. I'm the reason why-"

"No, you're not, Uzumaki Naruto." Sakura came to an abrupt halt, yanking on his arm to force him to stop too. He squawked in shock and made a strange sound that was a mixture between a yelp and choking, but she ignored it. "The fault was mine and Shikamaru's. We shouldn't have been fighting."

"No," he muttered seriously, "you shouldn't have. What the hell were you thinking, Sakura-chan?"

That Shikamaru had needed someone he could take his anger out on. The anger he felt… Sooner or later he would realise it was directed at himself. He was angry at himself. It was so much easier blaming other people.

"I guess I wasn't," she lied and looked away.

"Hurry up," Sasuke grunted as he brushed passed her. "The Hokage wants to see us."

That was…

She hadn't even realised he was behind them. And what was his attitude about? Why was he sulking? "What's his problem?" Sakura asked and she couldn't even deny that his treatment of her stung. "Did I do something or…?"

Faintly, Naruto's eyes narrowed but he soon sighed and instead threw his arm over her shoulders, pulling her against him as he continued their walking. "Ignore him, Sakura-chan. He's being his usual stick-up-the-ass self."

But he wasn't. Naruto's quick dismissal of the subject told her all she needed to know. Sasuke was angry with her. It was because of ANBU, without a doubt. Like Sakura had been worried about right at the beginning, he believed she had abandoned them after all they'd done for her. _What did she do now?_ How was she supposed to tell him different?

"Naruto-"

He cut her off with a shake of his head and his smile slipped away, silently telling her not to bother.

She looked down at the ground and tried her best to ignore the aching in her heart. Already, Sasuke was gone from their sights and even with Naruto dragging her along, Sakura couldn't seem to quicken her pace. She didn't want to. Not when it meant being stuck in the Hokage's office with the pair of them.

It wasn't just the pair of them, however.

Upon arrival, Sakura immediately sensed several chakras coming from within the office and she could recognise all but one. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered if she was about to be scolded for her behaviour yesterday at the training grounds.

As expected of Naruto, he entered without permission, not caring in the least about the fact that it could have been a top secret mission. However, considering Sasuke was already in the office, then they were expected.

She took a good look around herself, nodding once to Itachi when he glanced down at her, assessing her stance and features to make sure there were no signs of pain. Apparently, he found none, because he returned her nod of acknowledgement. By his side, Shisui stood proudly, looking as emotional as a rock – as usual. It must have been where Itachi learned how to school his emotions so perfectly, Sakura decided. Also, next to Shisui, was her former sensei, Kakashi, Shikamaru and a strange man who she didn't know. His hair was a light shade of brown and his features were average, but something about his eyes made her uncomfortable.

Everyone, except for herself and Naruto, was dressed in the standard jonin uniform. It made her feel out of place as she came to stand beside Sasuke with Naruto on her other side, what with her red haori, black skirt and thigh high boots.

"I'm glad to see you are well, Sakura-chan," Minato told her. "Have the effects of Sōzō Saisei finally ended?"

Sakura nodded. There were still a few pangs of pains and twinges of discomfort, but it was nothing she couldn't manage. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And your reserves?"

"It shouldn't take long for me to reach full capacity," she responded truthfully. "If I eat properly and get enough rest, I would say it would take a day or two." He appeared thoughtful, staring out at them all and it nearly made her smile nervously. "I take it we have another mission?"

Her heart stopped when he nodded.

A mission… with Shikamaru.

"Hokage-sama, if I may?" When Minato gave her his full attention, she frowned. "Given the circumstances, I have to suggest that either Shikamaru or myself remains in the village, or is given another mission. We cannot work together and the mission, no matter what it is, will be a failure without teamwork."

By her side, Sasuke scoffed.

Her frown deepened, but since they were in the Hokage's office, she refused to react to his childish behaviour and instead looked back to Minato.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Sakura-chan," he replied seriously, "but it is for this reason that we are sending both of you."

In the back, Shikamaru scowled. "It won't work, Hokage-sama."

"Oh?" Kakashi questioned, glancing down at the Nara out of the corner of his eye.

"Sakura and I will never be able to see eye-to-eye," he retorted coolly, his eyes hardening. "To try and force a bond between us-"

"There is already a bond," Itachi cut him off smoothly. "You simply refuse to acknowledge it."

Sakura looked over her shoulder at the men, holding back another frown. It was true, there was still a bond between herself and Shikamaru – one that could possibly grow stronger if he just accepted the truth. It happened between her and Choji and they were now a lot closer than they used to be. Shikamaru was refusing to see it, though. He was refusing to accept that Ino's death wasn't their fault – it was her own.

It was painful to admit such a thing and for months, Sakura had been weighed down by an immense, suffocating guilt, but it was the truth, wasn't it? Had Ino not been more concerned with being the best, with proving herself to her boys, then she would not be dead. They could have been sitting at their favourite tea shop, gossiping and bickering.

"You're just full of great ideas, aren't you, Dad?"

Her eyes snapped to Naruto's, widening in disbelief. _What the hell?_ What made it worse was that Sasuke merely narrowed his eyes on the Hokage, seemingly agreeing with him.

"You're determined on killing her, aren't you?" he demanded, his voice low and rough. "First ANBU, now this…"

"Naruto," Sakura snapped, but the harsh glare she suddenly received from Sasuke forced her to still her already clenching fist, caused her to take a step back and closer to Naruto. Never before had Sasuke _ever_ looked at her with such hatred. "Sasuke-kun, you-"

"Look at this shit," snarled Naruto. "Look what you've done!"

The second she felt him grab and tug at the sleeve of her haori, Sakura reacted by roughly jerking away from him, only to find that it was a mistake to do so when she heard the fabric tearing and falling to the ground. She hadn't thought he was holding it so tightly, expecting such a reaction from her.

"You've branded her," he muttered coldly.

Her fists clenched and shook and even after taking the time trying to calm down, Sakura could not stop herself from lashing out, from the back of her hand connecting with his face before anyone could so much as blink, sending Naruto flying across the office and through the wall.

She followed after him, ignoring the stunned and frightened onlookers as she pinned him down with her now bare arm against his throat.

"This…" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "This was a gift from Tsunade-sama."

"S-Sakura-chan… I-"

"Shut up and grow up, Naruto," she cut him off in a low voice and leaned in closer, until her chest was against his chest and he could feel her breath on his face. "This is for the sake of the village. Other than Tsunade-shishou, I am the _only_ medic who can fight on the front lines." Only when he started growing red in the face did Sakura ease up. Standing, she looked down on him. "It's _my_ job to keep others alive. Not even you can force me to go against my ninja way, Naruto."

"Sakura."

She looked up at Itachi, not surprised to find him behind her, and couldn't even deny that part of her hated him for suggesting to Minato that she joined his team.

"You are still recovering," he warned her quietly.

However, despite everything, he was still her captain and was still the one who had taken care of her. She sighed and nodded once, turning back to Naruto and holding out her hand for him.

"We have a mission," she stated and her heart ached when the blond hesitated in accepting her hand. "So we need to put aside our differences for now."

Something brightened in his eyes as she raised her eyebrows meaningfully, willing him to catch onto her hidden meaning. _For now_ – it was a silent promise. A promise between them. He already knew of her position in ANBU, what was the harm in telling him the truth? Without going into details of missions, of course. Her boys deserved an explanation at the very least.

His hand held onto hers and she offered him a small, tired smile, easily pulling him to his feet. Then, releasing his hand, she lifted her own to his cheek, sighing and healing the swelling, preventing the bruise that was already forming.

"You've gotten stronger, Sakura-chan," he chuckled nervously and rubbed his healed cheek.

"Hokage-sama is waiting."

Sakura looked up at Itachi and nodded, following after her captain with Naruto a step behind her. They were all staring when they returned and Minato was surveying the damage of his wall with an expression of despair. It was probably because it had only just been repaired, either from the wrath of his wife, or the anger of Tsunade. He couldn't go a day without experiencing either one.

"What Naruto said does not leave this office, understood?" Minato ordered as he made his way back to his desk, sitting down. "Sakura-chan's involvement in ANBU is highly classified – even more so than others because she is a medic and despite what you believe, Naruto, the last thing I want is Sakura-chan's death."

By her side, Naruto paled, like it had only just occurred to him what that would mean should the information be leaked.

Idiot.

Not only was she a medic, but she was a medic who had mastered Tsunade's jutsu. She was the apprentice of the greatest medic in the world. Should others find out about such a thing, they would either capture her and use her for ransom, torture her to death, or steal the secrets within her body. Probably all of those combined, actually.

"Getting on with the mission," Minato stated and looked out at them all. "Your mission is to protect and watch over Naruto as he is trained by the Kazekage's son." Sakura's heart stopped. His son was… "Recently, Gaara-kun has managed to control the Ichibi. In order to strengthen our ties, he will be assisting Naruto and training him to do the same."

It would be beneficial in the long run, but…

Sasuke was the one who spoke up, speaking her concerns. "Can we really trust Gaara?" he questioned. "Not too long ago, he tried to kill us."

"On multiple occasions," Naruto added and gulped.

With a sigh, Sakura reached down and picked up the sleeve of her haori. It was such a shame, because it _was_ a gift from Tsunade. It was designed like her shishou's, but instead of being green, it was red and instead of it saying 'gamble' on the back, her own said 'fighter'. It held so much meaning. Tsunade had given it to her not long after she finally broke through the darkness that had been keeping her hostage after Ino's death. Her hold on the sleeve tightened and she stood up straight.

"Then we'll do our best to prevent that from happening again," Sakura replied.

Minato smiled, agreeing.

"Sakura-chan, you will be captain of Team Seven for this mission." She nodded once and tried to ignore the disbelieving glowers Minato received from Naruto and Sasuke. "Shisui-san, you will be the captain of the team I will be putting together. This particular team will only act if the Kyuubi manages to take control."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed suspiciously and noticing this, Sakura frowned. They wouldn't complain about that as well, would they?

"Shouldn't Kakashi-sensei be our captain?" asked Naruto.

She couldn't stop her sound of disbelief or the shake of her head as she looked away from them both.

"You don't agree?" Sasuke drawled. "You don't have any experience with being the leader of a mission and this is easily an s-ranked mission."

"Sakura has had more experience with s-ranked missions than the both of you combined," Kakashi commented lazily. "I think she knows what she's doing."

Sakura smiled over her shoulder at her former sensei and he returned it, his eye creasing.

"If you are both done acting like children," Itachi suddenly spoke up, making Sasuke tense and grit his teeth, "I would like to know more about our mission. I would have thought you would both agree with that, since you're so worried about the fact it is s-ranked."

This time, she kept her head turned away in order to hide her smirk of amusement, especially when the two boys made noises of indignation.

Minato sighed. "While it may be true that Sakura-chan has had little experience in being a captain, the few missions she _has_ had, she has always completed successfully." Then, he narrowed his eyes fractionally on the two. "Naruto, you specifically asked for Sakura-chan to be by your side for this mission. Out of Team Seven, she is the best candidate for captain."

Reluctantly, he nodded, but muttered under his breath, "I never get to be captain."

Sakura's eyes widened. That was his problem? It wasn't the fact that he thought she couldn't complete the mission successfully, but because his pride was bruised? Green eyes rolled. Seriously. That idiot…

"Does the Kazekage know how large this team is, Hokage-sama?" Shisui asked.

"He does," he replied. "And he also agrees that it is a precaution we must take. The Kyuubi is known as the most powerful tailed beast – or so it claims." When confusion met him, Minato chuckled and rubbed the back of his head and in that moment, Sakura truly believed she was looking at a future version of Naruto. "Kushina is always having disagreements with the Kyuubi."

_She argued with the freaking Kyuubi?_ Her eyes went wide and Sakura was certain her jaw had hit the floor. That woman was fearless and she wished she would share some of her courage. She was an argumentative woman by nature, but to argue with the Kyuubi was simply insane.

Speaking up before anyone could comment, Minato then told them, "Gaara-kun will be accompanied by his siblings, Temari-chan and Kankuro-kun." Oh, Sakura wanted to warn him that Temari would probably castrate him for the honorific, but she kept her lips sealed. "They will be shadowed by Suna's ANBU and none of you are to approach or speak to them directly unless they do so first."

Those who understood ANBU's rules nodded once, accepting orders.

Sasuke and Naruto, however…

"What?" Naruto pulled an awkward face. "We can't just ignore them, Dad. It's rude."

He smiled. "It is, but these guys will have their hands full with the Kazekage's children."

Yeah, that Sakura didn't doubt. She just hoped that her truce with Temari still stood, despite the many months that had gone by.

* * *

They would be meeting at the border and from there, Gaara would be leading the way to where he had trained himself.

It was quite remarkable, if she really thought about it. Without help and without being ordered to do so, the redhead had taken himself far away from his village and done his best, tried his hardest, to control the Ichibi. And it seemed to have worked. What had motivated him to do that?

She hoped he'd be able to help Naruto, but as Minato stated, the Kyuubi was the most powerful tailed beast out there.

Glancing at the team behind her as they walked through the forest, Sakura frowned.

Shisui picked up his pace and raised a brow, silently asking what was wrong.

"It's worrying that he'd send this many people to restrain the Kyuubi," she admitted.

He offered her a comforting smile and patted her shoulder. "We're going for the Kyuubi's full power – or as much as Naruto possesses, since Kushina-san has the other half. It's all a precaution."

Full power.

Looking ahead, Sakura watched the backs of her two boys, her eyes fixed on the symbol of Naruto's jacket. How was he at such ease? Like he wasn't concerned in the least about what could possibly happen? It had only been two days since he last lost control.

At Minato's insistence, they had waited a day before setting out, leaving her extra time to recuperate and replenish her chakra.

The urge to hurl accusations at Minato had been close to impossible to ignore as everyone began filing out of his office. After all, he had promised her that her team wouldn't think she had abandoned them. _He promised her_. Somehow, however, Sakura had managed to fight back those urges, but something in her eyes must have conveyed the unspoken accusations, because he had lowered his eyes from hers as she left.

At the end of the day, it wasn't entirely his fault. How was he supposed to stop them from seeing her tattoo after her clothes were torn apart in battle? Until then, they hadn't bugged her once about always being away on missions, they'd accepted it, understanding how important she was as a medic.

"How are you holding up?" asked Shisui quietly, his voice low enough for only her to hear him.

She knew he was talking about not only Shikamaru, but also her boys. "Fine, I guess," replied Sakura just as quietly and she gave a hopeless shrug. "There's nothing I can do really, is there?"

He sighed, looking ahead. "You've become wise beyond your years since joining ANBU, but by doing so, you have left them behind. I'm afraid you will just have to be patient with them both."

"And Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That…" Dark eyes met hers and she nodded, understanding what he was trying to tell her. "Do not let it push you backwards, Sakura. It would be a shame to see all your efforts go to waste, don't you agree?"

Yeah, she guessed that was true. She nodded, offering him a smile.

* * *

They had stopped for the night. It had been a joint decision between herself and Shisui, to make sure their teams were fully rested and prepared for the next day. As well as that, they weren't expected until tomorrow, so Sakura had suggested that they would be better off resting in the cover of the forest rather than in the desert.

The fire Sasuke had set up was larger than usual since there was more of them, but it was surprisingly silent as they went about eating their meals. It wasn't a comfortable silence, either. In fact, she was certain she hadn't felt so uncomfortable in quite a while.

"Who will be taking the first watch?" questioned Kakashi.

Sakura looked to Shisui and shrugged. "I don't mind taking the first watch."

The first watch was the best one, in her personal opinion. It meant your sleep went undisturbed, unlike the person who was taking second watch, who would be woken during the night and then told they could go back to sleep. Third wasn't too bad, she relented, but waking up so early wasn't the best thing in the world.

Shisui glanced at his team and then to hers. "Do you all agree to only three of us taking shifts?" When he received a nod, he then told them all, "After Sakura, I will take the next watch. Itachi, would you mind taking the last?"

As expected of him, he shook his head.

"Good, then it's sorted. Everyone else rest up."

It was already dark out and incredibly cold as the night wore on, forcing Sakura to grab her sleeping bag and wrap it around herself. They were close to the desert, only a few hours from the border, meaning it was to be expected that the temperature would plummet overnight.

Everyone else was out like a light, much to her relief and it gave Sakura the chance to think to herself without any interruptions.

The entire journey, Shikamaru had stuck to the back of the group, walking alongside Kakashi and remaining quiet for the most part. That was fine by her. In fact, as long as he wasn't ambushing her or trying to kill her, then Sakura didn't care about what he was doing. It was her teammates who were her main concern.

She watched them as they slept close to the fire, as they slept close to _her_. Hardly any conversation had been made and it stung her that they were acting so coldly towards her, but it was only to be expected and Sakura supposed she deserved a lot worse than the cold shoulder. After all they had done for her… After they had been there to comfort her, to help her back onto her feet after Ino's death…

She sighed and shut her eyes, though soon reopened them as she leaned back onto her hands, gazing up at the night sky. The stars were easier to see when away from the village and, childishly, Sakura kept her eye out for any shooting stars. If she could wish for anything at that moment in time, she would wish for the answers on how to fix her relationship with Naruto and Sasuke. They meant too much to her for something such as ANBU to come between them.

The grass beneath her was quite dry and grainy, obviously due to the harsh winds blowing sand into the forest whenever there was a sandstorm. It reminded her of who they would be working with for the next month or two – or however long it took Naruto to control the Kyuubi's power.

_Sabaku no Gaara._

The last time she had seen him, he had been, not for the first time, trying to kill them. However, their teams were forced to work together when their clients turned on them, wanting the tailed beasts that resided within them. It seemed quite a few people thirsted for more power and believed that, by acquiring a tailed beast, they would immediately have that power at their disposal. They couldn't be more wrong, though. A clear example of that was Naruto's lack of control over the Kyuubi.

What would they even say to Gaara? How did he feel about having to train Naruto? Would he even be able to help, if the rumours were true? If the more tails the beast had meant it was stronger, wouldn't that mean that the Ichibi was the weakest of them all? Would his methods work for the Kyuubi? She supposed that was why Minato sent five shinobi who were capable of stopping the Kyuubi, instead of just three.

Since her team was the main team and Shisui's was just backup, then that meant she would be in charge of correctly greeting Gaara. It would be her responsibility to make sure there was no bad blood between them before they got started, especially since they would be training a beast that was volatile and filled to the brim with unadulterated hatred.

And at some point, Sakura knew she would have to sit down and have a serious conversation with Sasuke and Naruto. When would be the right time, though? When they'd returned to the village would be the best and safest time, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand their angst.

A familiar spike in chakra had her eyes snapping to the left, widening a fraction and without even thinking about it, Sakura made a clone and left it in her place, quickly and silently rushing to meet him further into the forest.

Like before, they met at a lake. It seemed to be a sight he enjoyed. Was it the calm stillness of the water? Was it the soft breeze that blew their hair gently across their faces? Was it the fact that, when they looked up, despite being in the forest, they could still see the stars?

"Forgive me for not checking on you sooner," he suddenly told her and the differences in his own voice and the other Itachi's had never been clearer until that moment. This Itachi's voice was older and deeper. He spoke slowly and with pauses. "However, I could not find a time when you were alone."

She smiled and took a step closer to him, tilting her head to the side. "The Itachi of this timeline stayed by my side."

He nodded. "I know."

He already knew? How? But then it dawned on Sakura what he'd said about being unable to get her alone. "I never would have thought he'd do that," she confessed, staring at his back. "But… Itachi never left my side. He stayed with me until I was better, holding me when I was in pain and…" Sakura smiled when the other Itachi turned to face her. "He's letting me in."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he warned her, causing the smile to falter. "This is an act of kindness. You will know when he lets you into his heart because he will tell you everything."

It saddened her for reasons she couldn't even begin to comprehend, making Sakura look away and frown at the trees.

Even after all the time they'd spent together, the Itachi of her timeline still hadn't let her in and the second she was _certain_ he'd been about to, he lashed out at her and closed himself off. Maybe he had commitment issues? Or trust issues? It was probably best not to think about it.

"You haven't been to see me in a while," she accused quietly.

"You were growing too attached."

Attached? Sakura looked back to him with her frown still in place, only now it was deepening. How in the hell had she been getting attached?

As always, she was unable to clearly see his features because of that damned cloak, but, out of consideration she supposed, the other Itachi had removed his hat, holding it by his side and allowing her to see his eyes. Like they usually were whenever she saw him, his Sharingan was activated and not for the first time, she wondered how his eyesight was. There had to be negative effects from using the Sharingan so much.

"I saw it in the way you behaved with the Itachi of this timeline," he explained without needing her question. "Due to seeing so much of myself, you continuously got us confused."

She pouted. That was _one freaking time._ _Once_, she had let something slip to the wrong Itachi and since then, she'd been extremely careful.

"However, you were also growing attached to me and that cannot happen."

This time, she scowled. "Of course I'm going to get attached to you. You've saved my life several times now."

"Then you must learn to control those feelings, Sakura," he stated seriously.

"I-" She took a step forward, hands raising uselessly before she shook her head. "Itachi…"

But the presence of another suddenly made itself known.

"I thought I'd find you here," Shisui said conversationally as he dropped in on them. "It's been a while, Itachi."

It was like he'd seen a ghost because the colour drained from the other Itachi's face, but he still managed to nod.

She could understand, though. Back in his own timeline, Shisui had been his closest friend, someone he could trust one hundred and ten percent to look out for him. They'd grown up together. They'd had the same wishes and the same dreams – to always be able to protect their clan and village. But then his best friend was viciously taken away from him, left with no option but to end his own life.

Sakura reached out and took Itachi's hand, smiling up at him softly, much to his surprise. "Shisui's been helping me train," she informed him and was happy when a peaceful smile pulled at his lips. "He's really helped me with ANBU and adjusting to everything."

"I'm glad," he murmured in reply.

Taking her hand back to herself, since he looked more comfortable when she did so, Sakura took a step back and shook her head. "Naruto and Sasuke-kun found out, though."

Apparently he understood straight away, because he didn't need filling in. "Give them time. Sasuke has always struggled with others surpassing him."

Her? Surpassing Sasuke? "Are you running a fever? Or sick?" she asked jokingly. "I'd hardly say I've surpassed him."

There was a pause in his reply.

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Itachi?"

Once again, he sighed. "I am ill."

Both Sakura and Shisui looked to one another as Itachi went back to staring out at the lake. They had seen his memories and they knew exactly what he meant by ill.

"But you were brought back," she tried to argue. "Surely that means you were cured-"

"The illness is from overusing the Mangekyō," commented Shisui, cutting her off. "Combine constant chakra depletion with your weak immune system…"

But Itachi shook his head. "No, this is an illness I was born with."

Sakura could have sworn that her heart stopped. "Our Itachi-"

"Has shown no signs of the illness. I believe the Mangekyō advances it. As you pointed out, Shisui, it causes constant depletion of chakra." He sighed and shut his eyes. "Thankfully, you are the only one in this world, other than myself, with it."

"You're wrong."

Itachi's eyes snapped open, meeting Shisui's and narrowing. "Who?"

"Fugaku-sama," he told them without pause.

"It's impossible," he muttered more to himself than to them. "I prevented the death of his friend. That should have stopped the awakening of his Mangekyō."

Never before had Sakura seen _this_ version of Itachi wound up and she wished she never saw him when he was angry, either. It seemed scarier than when their Itachi was getting angry. Was it because of all that he'd done? Was it the fact that he was taller than the Itachi of this timeline, so he easily towered over them? Was it his Mangekyō?

Whatever it was, it made him a hell of a lot scarier than their Itachi.

"I will deal with it," Itachi suddenly informed them and gazed up at the sky, calming himself.

"Itachi-"

But before Shisui could demand to know how he was going to deal with the matter, he disappeared in a flock of crows, causing Sakura to jump back in surprise.

Shisui sighed and glanced down at her. "Forgive me for barging in on your conversation with him, Sakura." She shook her head, silently telling him it was fine. "I rarely see him and whenever I do, it is never longer than a minute or two."

Seeing how the other Itachi had reacted to Shisui's presence made it clear, though. The death of his friend still haunted him, no matter how hard he tried to mask the pain. Up until she'd seen his reaction to Shisui, Sakura had honestly thought that his mask of indifference was flawless and perfect.

How wrong she was.

"Also, Sakura…"

She looked back to Shisui, having turned to glance at where the other Itachi had been standing. The look on the Uchiha's face was serious, yet understanding and it made her frown.

"They may somewhat look and sound the same, but you must not get them mixed up, Sakura," warned Shisui quietly. "The Itachi of this timeline and the Itachi of the other, are two completely different beings with completely different lives."

Wait, what?

_What?_

"I know about the relationship between Itachi and the other version of yourself," he explained. "However, that doesn't mean you have to be with this timeline's Itachi."

Yes, she knew that already. "I know, but I-"

Shisui nodded, still looking serious, but not needing her to explain herself. "It is none of my business, but please, unless your feelings are true, do not lead this Itachi on."


	23. You Don't Own Me

**Chapter 23**

**You Don't Own Me**

* * *

Ill.

Sakura's eyes drifted up to Uchiha Itachi's back, though masked her concern and worry.

What if he became ill? There'd been nothing medics could do to save the other Itachi. All they could do was give him medication that prolonged his life. Without it, he would have died within months, meaning Sasuke wouldn't have had his shot at avenging his clan. He put off death so that he could die by his little brother's hand.

Something tugged at her heart at the thought of her Itachi becoming ill. In the other timeline, they'd been without hope of his survival and at a loss about what to do for him. Even the medication couldn't make him comfortable in the end and he suffered excruciatingly, right until the bloody end.

The other Sasuke… had been a brute, Sakura recalled and her eyes moved sideways, glancing at the younger Uchiha. He'd been hell bent on revenge, driven insane by his older brother's actions and torturous genjutsu. Apparently he had thrown everyone and everything aside in hopes of gaining power, including Team Seven. In that timeline, Itachi had been damn near indestructible. When people spoke of his name, they spoke it in reverence or horror. They shuddered in fear, hoping never to come across the mass murdering Uchiha. What kind of person was capable of wiping out an entire clan, one that was as powerful as the Uchiha?

But Sakura knew that it had been an order from a man who was long gone in her own timeline. She simply couldn't get her head around it. Order or not, surely there would have been _some_ hesitation in wiping out his entire freaking clan? If there was any, it didn't show. The only time he hesitated was when killing his parents. She took a deep breath, doing her best to shove aside the thoughts in her head and the feelings that accompanied them.

But… he was ill.

How much time did he have left?

She didn't want him to die alone in a world he wasn't even supposed to be a part of. It seemed so lonely. The only people he'd been able to interact with, that she knew of, was Shisui and herself – and that was rare to happen. What did he do when he wasn't changing history?

She couldn't imagine what such a solitude felt like.

"We're almost there," Shisui informed them. "I can sense a powerful chakra straight ahead."

Sakura looked to her teammates and then to Shisui. "We'll take the lead from here."

He nodded once and his team dropped back, walking behind them.

As always with her boys, they were stood on each side of her – it seemed to be more of a habit than anything else, though. They were forever keeping her in between them, since it meant it was easier to defend her, should they be attacked. Unlike all other times, however, she was a step ahead of them, hiding her emotions into a mask of indifference. Hopefully, they wouldn't fight against her too much about the fact she was captain. Honorifics, she couldn't give a shit about. As long as they didn't disobey her, she didn't care. Disobeying orders led to deaths.

_Ino…_

Deep breaths.

Soon enough, Sakura could sense what Shisui had been able to back near the cover of the forest and her green eyes scanned the expanse of the desert, wondering how far ahead Gaara and his siblings were. All she could see were dunes and the occasional dried out weed.

The heat was inescapable and she could feel sweat running down her back. It couldn't be helped, she supposed. Even if she had dressed lighter, there was no guarantee that she would feel cooler, not to mention how much the temperature dropped at night. Oh and there was also the fact that her skin had a tendency to burn horrifically before she gained even the slightest of tans.

Her thigh high boots kept sand from getting between her toes (it had to be the most annoying thing _ever_, because sand seemed to get everywhere) and her jonin sweatshirt and flak jacket kept the sun off her skin for the most part. There was probably going to be an unfortunate tan line on her thighs from her skirt and boots, though.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, her eyes picked up on blood red hair. It was almost like he came out of the dune itself and only a step behind, his siblings flanked him. As always, the Sand Siblings were intimidating and their aura alone was enough to make awful memories flash through her mind.

They came to a stop only mere feet away.

"Where is your other team?" questioned Sakura when she noticed they were nowhere to be seen.

Gaara's arms folded over his chest and it surprised her that even he had hit a growth spurt. Perhaps not as major as Naruto or Sasuke's, but still noticeable. He used to be shorter than her and now she was looking up at him. "I ordered them to stay inside."

He had the authority to _order ANBU_ around? What happened to his village despising him? What happened to them fearing him? ANBU did not show fear, no matter what the circumstance was. Suna's ANBU were bound to be even more fearless than Konoha's, too. They would take absolutely no shit from anyone and that included Sabaku no Gaara.

_What did she do now?_

Maybe Sasuke had been right? Maybe she wasn't cut out to be a captain? Just one look into Gaara's eyes and all plans and thoughts flew out of her mind. Before meeting them, Sakura had known what she was going to say and how she was going to address the siblings, but now…

From behind Gaara, Temari smirked, but it wasn't directed at her.

"Oh?" she leaned forward slightly, gazing at Shikamaru and her smirk widened. "I didn't think they'd send _you_."

"Tch," he muttered under his breath in response and looked away.

Just when Sakura was certain Temari would be pissed off at such a flippant reply, the blonde surprised her by laughing. "No change there, then. You're as lazy as ever, Shikamaru."

They were so laid-back compared to how they were a couple of years ago, she noticed in an instant. Instead of ordering her to shut up like he previously would have, Gaara allowed Temari to speak up. Kankuro, on the other hand, seemed much more protective of his younger brother, assessing them all with a critical eye.

"Is the Kyuubi really that powerful?" Kankuro then questioned, his eyes fixed on Shisui's team.

"It is," Sakura responded for them, her expression grim and serious. "This is just a precaution, however. They're not to get involved in anything unless lives are at risk."

"Mainly the Kyuubi's," Gaara commented.

She supposed that was true. "Yes."

"It seems our villages don't differ too much in that regard," he told them. Where there used to be bitterness and hatred in his tone, it was now accepting. "Like Konoha, Suna cares more for the Ichibi than any other life it affects. It is their main source of power."

That was unfair. Their Hokage cared dearly for his son and wife. He'd die for them in a heartbeat. "I think it's more to do with the fact that, if the Kyuubi manages to break free, it would wreak havoc. It is _our_ concern, meaning Konoha would be held liable for all damage caused and all lives lost."

There was a pause in his reply as he regarded her, looking over her features and by her side, Naruto frowned.

"You're all different from a few years ago. You have all grown," Gaara stated plainly.

Naruto turned and looked at them all, assessing their appearances and Sakura rolled her eyes, trying her best not to smirk. "I think Sakura-chan's the only one who's changed," stated the blond. "Sure, me and Sasuke are taller, but she looks different."

Icy blue eyes narrowed fractionally and at the sight of them, she stepped further forward, putting a hand on Naruto's arm and chuckling sheepishly. "Don't start teasing him, Naruto," she chided. "Gaara-kun might not like it."

Temari smirked again, looking at her brothers with those fierce teal eyes. "Kankuro learned that the hard way."

Her eyes had always been discomforting for Sakura. Since their truce, since seeing the unhidden worry for her brothers in Temari's eyes, she liked to think that they weren't as bad as she had originally thought. "He'll learn eventually," she responded with the same smirk.

The blonde's smirk widened in a wicked way. "That I don't doubt."

On her right side, Naruto leaned down to her height, frowning as he quietly asked, "That was a threat, right? I'm right to be scared, right?"

Sakura waved him off. "Don't worry so much, Naruto. It's just girly banter, right, Temari?"

As always, Temari's features were unreadable, but there was still that wildness to them. "Of course."

"Naruto," Gaara gained their attention once more as he directly addressed him. "The training you will be undergoing is harsh and draining not only psychically but emotionally and mentally, too. However, the only times I will physically harm you myself is when it is necessary, such as sparring or if you piss me off."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

But Naruto didn't seem to take it as a threat. Instead, he folded his arms behind his head and grinned. "Well, I'm just warning you: I'm known to piss people off without even trying. Just ask Sakura-chan."

"I think it would be best that we go inside now," Temari suddenly spoke up, her previous teasing demeanour slipping away. "They're not used to the heat, Gaara."

That was true. Already, she and Naruto were sweating and almost panting for breath. Sasuke, like those behind them, managed to mask his discomfort, though one look at Shikamaru told Sakura that he was feeling no different.

Gaara nodded once and turned, walking toward the sand dune. "Follow me."

It was unbelievable how the sand opened up for him with a single raising of his finger against his bicep, revealing a large, wooden door to them. Creaking as it swung open, Gaara held it for them, seeming to take note of everyone who was entering his bunker.

That was basically what it was, Sakura decided as she looked around. It was a hideout – like the ones in the Hokage monument. Plain, basic and only one room (two if you included the bathroom). It surprised her momentarily, as she wouldn't have expected such a place to have plumbing. Attached to the rounded walls were beds. Bunk beds, actually. With thin mattresses but thick bed sheets and pillows, which was probably for when the temperature dropped at night. Over all, there were ten beds.

_There were fifteen of them._

"I don't sleep," Gaara informed them as he shut the door.

Fourteen, then. "Four of us will have to share."

Sakura glanced over the two teams from Konoha. It would be weird to ask Temari and Kankuro to share and she had been warned not to address Suna's ANBU. Going off the smallest of them, Sakura couldn't help but frown uncertainly as she realised Shikamaru and herself were the smallest. Had there not been any negativity between them, then she would have been fine with sharing a bed with him. The next person who was the smallest was Naruto.

Sakura supposed she could share with him. Her eyes moved to the blond, narrowing. "No touching me in my sleep."

He grinned, rubbing the back of his head. "C'mon, Sakura-chan. Where's the trust?"

That left two others. And they weren't exactly the smallest men in the world. She highly doubted any of the older guys would be able to share a bed – they were too big and she doubted they'd fit on them in the first place. Sasuke with Shikamaru? Sakura inwardly shook her head, admonishing herself for such a suggestion. They would end up killing each other, she was certain. Well, Sasuke would probably end up killing Shikamaru. He didn't have enough patience to deal with-

"I'll share with Shikamaru," Temari suggested, making everyone look at her with wide eyes and in the background, it seemed the Nara choked on thin air.

Kankuro actually scowled_,_ much to Sakura's disbelief. "We can't put a Suna-nin with a Konoha-nin, Temari."

"Why?" Kakashi drawled and she knew he was only piping up now because he didn't want to share a bed with anyone. He needed his privacy, after all. "They're always together whenever Temari-san is sent on delegate missions to our village. It would be much better than pairing her up with one of your ANBU operatives."

Before Kankuro could argue, Gaara nodded once. "I suppose you're correct."

Sakura couldn't help but frown. He trusted a Konoha-nin more than his own guards?

"Then it's settled." Naruto pointed out the obvious brightly. "I get my Sakura-chan all to myself and Shikamaru gets-"

A hand gripping his ear had him yelping in pain, a yelp that only grew in volume when Sakura yanked him down to her height, glaring into his eyes angrily. "Sorry, I think I misheard. Whose Sakura-chan do you get all to yourself?"

"N-No one's!"

Kakashi smirked behind his mask, clearly glad that they were getting on, if only by a small amount.

"We will begin training tonight," Gaara interrupted. "This will give you time to rest from your travels and the temperature will steadily decrease. However, this will only be for tonight. Starting from tomorrow, whether you are ready or not, you will be training in the heat of the desert for as long as I command. Understood?"

Sakura released Naruto's now bright red ear, allowing him to stand to his full height and he rubbed at it with a pout. "Yeah, yeah. I get it."

"Naruto," she scolded, hands on hips. "Address people properly." Especially when they were hell raising psychopaths. It would be better for them all if nobody pushed the redhead too far.

He sighed. "Yes, I understand, Gaara."

"Good." Gaara nodded and then gestured to the table in the centre of the bunker. "Under the table you will find a hatch. There is food and water inside."

It didn't surprise any of them when Naruto all but leapt onto the table, desperate to find out if there would be any ramen.

She looked back to Gaara, watching how he watched Shisui's team and realising that she had yet to introduce them, Sakura inwardly scolded herself. "Uchiha Shisui," she called out, looking over to him. "He is the team's captain."

Stepping forward so that he was by her side and feet away from Gaara, the Uchiha nodded once. "If you ever find you need help with controlling the Kyuubi, do not hesitate to call for any member of my team. It is imperative that it does not take control of Naruto-kun."

Gaara was silent and they took it as an order to continue.

Gesturing to the team and holding back her nerves of being so close to the redhead, Sakura then told him, "You already know Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru." Another nod. "The man beside Kakakshi-sensei is Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke-kun's older brother." Much to her surprise, Gaara looked between them, as if he hadn't known Sasuke had a brother. "And lastly, we have Tenzo-san."

Tenzo was a quiet man and his quietness was rather… eerie. The others didn't seem to notice it, but Sakura sure did. You could tell when his eyes were on you, because it was as though the man didn't even blink. He just stared and stared and _stared_. There must have been something about him that stood out, though. If Minato sent him as part of the Kyuubi restraining team (as much as she admired her Hokage, he wasn't that good with being creative or coming up with names), then that meant he was powerful enough to restrain the Kyuubi.

She'd never heard of him before. Apparently Kakashi and Itachi had, because during their journey to the desert, they'd made easy conversation with him and he'd responded with familiarity. Maybe they'd been a team before?

"So… There you go." She smiled and glanced back to the redhead. Uncertainty almost caused her smile to falter when she found he was already looking at her. "Where…?"

"They are hidden." Gaara didn't need to hear the rest of her question to know where it was going.

To watch over their teams and try to learn as much as possible. At some point during the day, Sakura knew they would come out and join them all. Even ANBU needed to eat and sleep.

She looked over to the other team, if only to break eye contact with Gaara and smiled at Itachi when she noticed him watching her.

He returned it briefly.

That was all she needed to know she was doing a good job.

"_Oi, look,"_ came a muffled voice from down the hatch. Not that she should have suspected any different, but the table had been toppled over in his haste to get to the food. _"They have instant ramen."_

"Those are rations," Kankuro snapped and stood over the hatch, glaring down at the blond. "Don't go stuffing your face!"

* * *

Naruto was outside training with Gaara, along with the ANBU who had accompanied the redhead, as well as Naruto's guards. At some point during the evening, Temari and Shikamaru slipped away to watch them, but Sakura suspected that it was due to the tension in the air. Every so often, she would look up and catch the Nara's eyes, only to look away when he wouldn't do so first. Temari didn't seem to appreciate his attention being elsewhere – or on another woman, to be more exact.

She sighed and looked at the bed that was above hers and Naruto's. Sasuke was facing the wall, giving them all his back and her eyes lingered on the Uchiha emblem.

_Now was as great a time as any_.

It was the most alone time they would ever have, since it was just herself, Sasuke and Kankuro in the bunker.

He didn't acknowledge her when Sakura lifted herself onto the top bunk, settling down beside him on her side and he still refused to acknowledge her when her fingers grazed his back. There wasn't a chance that he was sleeping, though. His breathing was too normal and there was a slight tension in his shoulders. Before ANBU, however, Sakura would have believed that he was sleeping.

"I'm sorry for lying to you both," she whispered and swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

It wasn't exactly unusual for Sasuke to ignore her, as he always had when they were growing up. But after Ino's death, he became much more attentive towards her. He listened. Was he listening now?

"I thought I'd be more useful this way," Sakura admitted. "They have no medics, Sasuke-kun – every single of them is dead, except for me. I'm the only one who can handle it."

"Handle it?" His voice was rough, though just as quiet as her own. "You think you can handle something like-"

She knew he'd cut himself off before he said too much, before he let it slip that she was a member of ANBU now. It appeared as though he was still looking out for her, even after…

Sakura gritted her teeth and her forehead pressed to his back, fingers tangling in his shirt. "I didn't… mean to abandon our team."

The sound of shuffling behind them gained Sakura's attention, but she didn't look and was grateful when the door opened and then closed. Kankuro was giving them time to talk, it seemed. Maybe he wasn't so bad?

She felt more than heard the deep breath Sasuke suddenly took. "We were there for you when you needed us most, Sakura and you repaid us by swanning off the first chance you got."

"That's not true-"

"Then what is it?" he demanded, but still didn't turn to look at her. By now, the tension in his shoulders moved to his entire body. He was getting angry. "You got your first taste of an s-ranked mission, with my brother, no less, and suddenly you think you're better than us? You think you're cut out for that sort of life?"

Tears stung her eyes. "I know I'm not better than you or Naruto, Sasuke-kun," she whispered in response and the pain in her heart flared. "I'm…" Her voice cracked. "I'm scum for giving up on our team."

There was a pause.

A sigh.

"You're…" Sasuke's voice lost its hard edge. "You're not scum, Sakura."

"Yes I am," she whimpered and lifted her hands, wiping harshly at her eyes. Why was it that Sasuke always managed to make her cry? Without even trying, too. "If it weren't for you both pushing me so hard, I'd still be holed up in my room, crying and feeling guilty about something that wasn't… wasn't my fault!"

"Sakura-"

Her silent sob shook the bed, making it creak. "I'm sorry."

Another sigh. "You said you accepted because it made you feel useful." When he felt her nod, he continued, "You weren't useless to begin with."

"I'm doing so much more with them," Sakura tried to explain, but everything she said felt like the wrong thing to say. "I take part in missions now, Sasuke-kun. They let me… get involved."

"You were holding her back."

The new voice stunned them both, as they hadn't heard his entrance and at the sound of his voice, Sasuke's tension increased tenfold and she _heard_ the anger that had been simmering, begin to boil.

She sat up on the bed, looking over at Itachi. "Itachi, please don't say things like that."

"It's true," he told them bluntly. "Sakura has achieved much more than she could ever have hoped to achieve while a part of Team Seven."

Sasuke was sat up in an instant, glaring viciously over at his older brother, who remained standing calmly by the door. "Stay the hell out of this," he snarled. "You have nothing to do-"

"I am the one who had her promoted." Itachi stared back patiently, seemingly unconcerned with his anger. He knew he could handle it. "I am the one who saw her potential and how far away she was from reaching it, due to how much you both coddled her."

"Coddled?" Sasuke repeated in a low and dangerous voice. "You know nothing about her."

Sakura's eyes were wide as she looked between the two brothers. Their argument was bringing forth the other Itachi's memories, forcing her to relive the horrors that had happened and then the fierce, final battle that ended in Itachi's death. She kept seeing his still body, his bloody face. She kept hearing the final words he spoke to Sasuke and how glad he was that the final face he saw, was his baby brother's.

There had always been conflict between them both, but she had never planned for it to grow worse. Sakura hadn't been planning on telling Sasuke that it was because of Itachi that Minato promoted her. Her eyes drifted back to Sasuke's, watching the hostility in them growing by the second.

"I know enough," replied Itachi simply. "You should be able to see the difference already, Sasuke. Sakura has matured massively since being promoted." His eyes narrowed fractionally. "I will not allow you to stunt that growth any further. Both yourself and Naruto-kun are attempting to pull on her emotions, to make her feel guilty, but I will not allow that to happen. Had it been yourselves who were promoted, you wouldn't have thought twice about accepting it. Sakura, on the other hand, struggled with making the decision for a while and even now, I can tell she has her doubts."

When Sasuke's eyes met hers, Sakura found herself unable to find any words to speak.

"Is it true, Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "Did you really hesitate because of us?"

She could only nod.

Damn it. When in ANBU, when around her ANBU squad, she was able to remain strong, to be emotionally distant from things that hurt her until she was able to let it all go. When around her boys it was a completely different story. Just one look into their eyes made her want to share everything and anything, made her want to try and make them understand and when they couldn't understand, it made her want to cry her heart out because it hurt so damn much.

His eyes assessed her features, taking them all in like he was committing them to memory, or perhaps comparing them to his memories of her.

She knew she looked different psychically. Her features were sharper and more defined, more feminine, but that was only natural since she was growing closer to seventeen rather than sixteen. It felt like she'd been in ANBU for a lifetime, when it had actually only been months.

How old was she when she returned with Tsunade and Shizune? Gods, she'd been so young! Just about to turn fifteen, if Sakura wasn't mistaken. Since then it all seemed to have tumbled out of control. Losing her best friend, her closest friend, at such a young age had made time seem like it was in fast forward. Even she paid little attention to her age nowadays.

Sakura sighed and gazed down at the space between them. Her sixteenth birthday hadn't been anything special – she was actually on a mission for it, if she wasn't mistaken. None of her new teammates knew about it and Sakura hadn't wanted to make a big deal, even though part of her longed to be with her boys again. They were a little dense when it came to such events, but they _did_ wish her a happy birthday, at the very least.

"Gaara was right." Sasuke was still staring at her, emotionless and unblinking. "You've changed."

When was the last time they'd spent time together? ANBU missions were hectic and she rarely had a day off. But Sakura had knowingly signed up for that, understanding that, because she was a medic who was capable of fighting on the front-lines, she would be in high demand.

"I'm sorry," she repeated her apology.

"It's going to kill you," he muttered quietly.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm not going to let it."

"You've always been naïve." Sasuke's eyes narrowed fractionally before moving over to Itachi's and narrowing further. "Naruto said her death will be on Minato's hands, but it's going to be on _your_ hands," he stated coldly. "And when that happens, I'll be right by his side when he comes for you."

Her eyes widened in horror and Sakura grabbed his arm. "Stop it," she nearly yelled. "It's not Itachi's fault."

"He's the one who had you promoted," he snapped in response and tried to yank his arm free, but she didn't allow it to happen. "Let go, Sakura."

"No." She swallowed at the anger in his eyes when they snapped to hers. "Itachi _suggested_ it to Hokage-sama. He looked at my skills and it took him _two weeks_ to finally consider Itachi's suggestion." But Sasuke merely shook his head, making her own anger spike. "_I'm_ the one who agreed to the promotion. It was a decision only _I_ could make and I did it for-"

The look in his eyes was undeniably furious. "Don't you dare say you did it for the sake of the village."

"It's true," she told him coldly.

His upper lip curled and he snarled at her, "Every person who's given their all for the sake of Konoha has died. Take a look at Ino!"

It couldn't be helped.

Her hand lashed out without hesitation, slapping him harshly across the face and snapping his head to the side. The only reason why he didn't go through the wall was because of her hold on his arm, which was tighter than ever until Sakura released him like she'd been burned. In an instant, his cheek turned a horrific shade of red, but she didn't care.

"Sakura-" Itachi stepped closer to them, his eyes widening a fraction, but she cut him off.

"Don't _ever_," her voice was low and harsh, nothing more than an angered growl, as she leaned closer to him, their face meres inches apart, "use Ino's death to get the better in an argument." When he faced her once more, Sakura refused to show her wariness and surprise to see that his Sharingan was activated and instead, she returned his glare. "Ino died for her friends and team," she corrected. "She didn't do it for the village."

"It was the village that sent her on that mission."

"But it was her own fault why she had to make that decision to give her life!"

"Don't…"

Sakura's anger faded like a candle being blown out when she heard the voice and when she looked behind herself, her fears were confirmed when she saw Shikamaru standing halfway through the door with Temari behind him.

In an instant, Sakura got off the top bunk and even Sasuke seemed to have forgotten his anger with her, because he was right behind her, flanking her. In front of her, Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"Shikamaru-" She tried to calm him.

"Her death was _your_ fault," he snarled, the hand on the door shaking. "You had the strength to overpower her. _You_ were her superior." He stepped further into the room and Temari followed, but her eyes were glued on him in surprise. Apparently she hadn't seen this side of him yet. "Yet you let her go on, even though you knew it would lead to trouble."

She shook her head, her heart pounding. It always did when she was facing Shikamaru and his accusations. Forget battling shinobi like Akasuna no Sasori or Sabaku no Gaara. Confrontation with the Nara always seemed scarier, for some unexplainable reason.

"This is not the time or the place, Nara-san," Itachi responded coldly. "Put aside your personal issues and put the mission first."

When he continued to glare hatefully at Sakura, Temari stepped around him and between them both, but stunned them all when she stood in front of her protectively.

Disbelief almost took over his anger.

_Almost._

"Get out the way, Temari."

Teal eyes narrowed in an obvious challenge. "Or what, huh? What exactly is going to happen if I do? What are _you_ going to do?"

His eyes snapped to hers.

But then they moved back to Sakura's and the hatred grew.

"Oi," Temari snarled and slammed her fan into the ground, uncaring that it cracked the cement as she demanded his attention to be back on her. "Stop whining like a baby, Shikamaru. You're supposed to be a shinobi."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Stay out of this, Temari."

"Like hell," she replied, her grip tightening and Sakura hoped that she wouldn't use the fan against him. "From what I can piece together, it sounds like that Yamanaka girl gave her life to protect her friends. To continuously target her closest friend, you're basically pissing on her memory and sacrifice, idiot."

Shikamaru's upper lip curled and by his side, his fists clenched. "You didn't know her-"

She raised a defiant eyebrow and that alone silenced him. "But I know you, Shikamaru." Her fan dropped to the ground, stunning them and for a moment, when Temari walked over to him in purposeful strides, she wondered if she was supposed to stop her. Apparently Sasuke wondered the same, because they exchanged an uncertain glance. "And I know that you don't really hate this girl."

Green eyes moved back to brown, widening a fraction.

"Shut up."

"You hate yourself."

"Shut up!"

Sakura raised a hand to her mouth and did her best to hold back her tears as Shikamaru's eyes became glassy.

"You're just looking for someone else to blame to try and ease the pain in your heart. I know… because it's exactly what I did when my mother died giving birth to Gaara. She chose to carry on with the pregnancy, to allow them to place the Ichibi inside of him, but I still blamed my father."

"I said _shut up!"_

But Temari waved off Itachi's interference with a dark look and then easily caught the fist that was flying in her direction, giving a single, strong tug. Her arms wrapped around the sobbing Nara and she shut her eyes, giving a sigh.

He shook in her arms. "I… I should have known what she was going to do," Shikamaru sobbed and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, crushing her against him. "I-I'm supposed to be a genius… yet I didn't… predict her actions… I didn't plan ahead… for what we'd do w-without her."

She bit her lip and Sakura was floored when a single tear slipped down the blonde's cheek and when she spoke, Temari's voice was harsh. It was low and shaky. "You're such a cry-baby."

"Come," Itachi murmured to them quietly. "We should give them some privacy."

Sakura accepted his hand without hesitation, looking back to the pair of them as they silently made their way out of the bunker.

There was no ignoring the wail of pure agony that followed them.


	24. It's A New Day

**Chapter 24**

**It's A New Day**

* * *

"You are always attracting trouble, Sakura." Itachi sighed. "I am beginning to believe it is hazardous to leave you by yourself."

She laughed, looking up at him with a grin. "You're just saying that because you love being in my presence."

The sound of footsteps behind them broke the light conversation and after a moment of thinking about it, Sakura pulled her hand free of Itachi's, self-consciously wringing her hands together in front of herself. It felt wrong to be on such friendly terms with him in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke stopped walking once they were out of hearing range of the bunker. "You protect her?"

The pair of them turned to face him, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.

Itachi stared him down. "She is perfectly capable of protecting herself." Just as the younger Uchiha was about to argue, he then told him, "However, if there _is_ a situation that calls for it, then yes, of course I protect her."

He said it like Sasuke shouldn't have expected any less of him.

In all honesty, he shouldn't have. If there was one thing both the Itachi of this timeline and the Itachi of the other had in common, it was their want to protect both their clan and the village. That need to protect others included their teammates and friends.

The massacre had been a last resort. Had there been any other way, the other Itachi would have grasped it with both hands. After his best friend's death, however, he lost all hope. Just as she had for a short while.

The ground quaking had Sakura's eyes darting over to the two men sparring, fear gripping at her heart, but she was stunned to hear Naruto's hearty laughter as he dodged Gaara's sand. He made a single seal, creating as many clones as possible before he was attacking head on, using them to get through the sand.

"That idiot," she laughed breathlessly and rubbed her forehead.

"He's actually enjoying himself," added Sasuke.

"Naruto-kun has a forgiving nature," Itachi told them after a moment of pause where they watched the spar. "He may not understand many things, but he understands that life is too short to hold onto grudges."

The younger Uchiha glanced up at his brother, but immediately looked away when he sensed his gaze and looked back.

"Naruto isn't the only idiot around here." Sakura set her hands on her hips, glaring at them both. "You said life is too short to hold grudges, Itachi and _I_ say it's way too short to be at war with your brother. Sasuke, you're no better." She gave them both her best unimpressed glower. "Hokage-sama may have put me and Shikamaru together to try and settle our differences, but _I_ know he's expecting you two to do the same."

She would not allow history to repeat itself.

She would make sure this Itachi got a happy ending.

Itachi glanced at his younger brother again. "We are not at war."

Sasuke nodded, smirking. "He's someone I need to surpass – an obstacle to overcome. Right, Nii-san?"

He nodded.

Sakura looked between them, eyes wide and jaw going slack.

What?

_What?_

"You mean…" She frowned. "You never hated each other?"

She wasn't the only one who was frowning. Itachi was, too as he shook his head. "I could never hate my brother, Sakura. I simply… disagree with him from time to time and must put him in his place. It is my duty as an older brother."

Put him in his place… Her eyes widened further. "You mean that time in the training grounds, just before I told you to go and screw yourself-"

The older Uchiha suddenly appeared displeased as he regarded his brother. "I did not like the tone he used when speaking to our mother."

Unbelievable.

_Un-fucking-believable._

How the hell was anybody supposed to understand the Uchiha Clan when they pulled shit like that? They were insane. Plain and simple. Usually when you disagreed with the way somebody was speaking to another, you told them. You didn't beat the shit out of them. Then again, Sasuke had been screaming at him, taunting him.

"You were always calling him names," Sakura recalled to Sasuke. "You made it sound like you-"

A faint blush stained his cheeks and he suddenly couldn't meet his brother's eye. "He's always improving without even trying. It pisses me off."

While Sasuke was stuck with harsh training and walls he had to break through to improve further. She sighed. It was understandable why Sasuke sometimes felt the way he did about Itachi, why he felt the need to lash out and curse at him. It was exactly how she felt at times. _But_… He'd made it seem like he truly hated his older brother. How had that made Itachi feel? Sakura looked up at him, but was stunned to see that he was smirking with amusement.

"There is no need to look so worried, Sakura. Since the age of eight, Sasuke has always acted in such a way towards me."

How was he okay with that?

It was… none of her business.

Sighing, Sakura glanced up at the pair of them. "How much longer do you think Naruto will be training for?"

They all looked over to the pair of jinchūriki and she couldn't help but wince as Naruto was slammed into the ground after sand had wrapped itself around his ankle. Even if he wasn't as psychotic as he used to be, Gaara was clearly still a brute.

"You're exhausted, Sakura," Itachi stated. "It would be best to leave your conversation with him until morning."

"It's not like we can go back in there any time soon," replied Sasuke with a shrug.

She nodded in agreement. "Shikamaru's been holding that in for too long."

Itachi was right, though and she knew it. It surprised her that she could read his eyes so easily in that moment, almost like he wasn't even trying to hide his emotions from her and Sakura wondered if it had anything to do with Sasuke being with them. Discreetly, she looked to the younger Uchiha, but he was looking elsewhere. When her eyes went back to Itachi's, she sighed quietly. She _did_ need to rest. It was all a crucial part of recovery and replenishing your chakra. However, it wasn't like she could just sleep in the desert.

Sasuke turned to her once more. "You will start fainting again if you don't take care of yourself, Sakura."

"Fainting?"

"Yeah." Even when Sakura glared at him, he continued to explain, "When Sakura was first storing chakra away, she kept fainting because of how much of her own chakra it took to do it." Sasuke raised a challenging eyebrow. "And you told Minato that you only needed a couple of days to fully restore your chakra."

She gritted her teeth. "That's because I'm-"

"Pushing yourself too hard."

Green eyes went wide, hopelessly staring up at Itachi. "Not you, too."

He opened his mouth, about to reply, but all of a sudden, his Sharingan activated and his eyes darted to the left, narrowing fractionally a few seconds before there seemed to be an explosion of sand, effectively showering them in the grainy particles.

"_So that's your limit?"_ They heard Gaara call out and above the dirt and sand that had picked up, obscuring their view, they saw him levitating in the air with the aid of his sand. "_You lose complete consciousness at three tails."_

Suddenly, Gaara was looking out at the team who was watching over their spar, nodding once to Shisui who intervened not even a second later, forcing the Kyuubi to submit to his orders with his Sharingan. The redhead was lowered back down to the ground as the cloud of dirt dissipated, allowing them to view what was happening once more. He folded his arms over his chest, looking down at Naruto as the blond wheezed and spluttered, his fists clenching into the sand.

Sakura frowned. Was he in pain?

"_It appears you lack motivation."_ Gaara turned his back on him and began to walk away, towards the bunker. "_That will be the first thing we will work on starting tomorrow."_

Naruto? Lacking motivation? That was like saying the sun lacked heat. That water lacked the ability to hydrate. That gravity lacked the ability to keep them on the ground. Naruto was… He was always the most motivated on their team.

"Gaara-kun," Itachi spoke up as the redhead reached them. "I would suggest not entering the bunker for a short while."

Icy blue eyes met each of theirs languidly before narrowing slightly on Itachi's. "Why is that?"

Sakura's eyes saddened as she gazed over her shoulder at the wooden door. The sand had been raised by Gaara during his spar with Naruto and she was expecting it to be dropped again once they were all inside. It was perfect for hiding, really.

"Temari-san and Shikamaru are having a private moment," Sakura answered and looked back to him. "We can't intrude."

There wasn't any specific emotion on his face, but she was certain he was growing annoyed. Something in the air didn't feel right. "That is too bad," replied Gaara and he continued on his walk. "There will be a sandstorm shortly. We have no other choice but to intrude, unless you wish to die out here."

Still as blunt as ever, she thought with a secretive pout.

"I'll get Naruto," Sasuke muttered before catching her eye. "Get some rest, Sakura."

Just as she went to argue, a hand was taking hers and pulling her in the direction of the bunker, making her pout not so secretive anymore. Sakura glanced up at Itachi with narrowed eyes, but she did not resist him. It didn't take a genius to realise that he preferred to have control over all things – she'd disobeyed him enough for one day.

By the time they entered the bunker, only mere seconds after Gaara, Sakura was surprised to find Temari and Shikamaru sitting quietly at the table, the former only sparing them a glance until she was focusing on the Nara once more.

Gaara made his way to the far wall, the one without any beds and sat down, crossing his legs in front of himself and shutting his eyes.

Wait…

He wasn't supposed to sleep!

"Meditation," Itachi murmured to her and she was startled to hear his voice so close to her ear. It almost felt like she could feel his lips brushing against it. Just as the feeling washed over her, he was further away and tugging on her hand. "Come, you must sleep now."

"The others-"

"They will be joining us momentarily. Now-"

"Wait. Before you do, I need to say something."

Sakura spun around, surprised to hear _him_ speaking directly to her and when she was facing him, she saw that Shikamaru was now standing, though keeping a distance between them. Behind him, Temari also stood, staying close to him.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry."

She blinked in surprise and gave a small, awkward smile. Then, she grew serious. "I shouldn't have spoken about Ino's sacrifice in such a careless way."

"No, you shouldn't have," he agreed sternly.

Unknowingly, her hold tightened on Itachi's hand. "I'm sorry."

"Stop…" Shikamaru shook his head and sighed. "Stop apologising." His brown eyes were harsh and cold, but at the same time, accepting. "I was wrong to come after you the way I did."

Damn right he was.

"What Shikamaru is _trying_ to say is…" Temari rolled her eyes, placing a hand on her hip. "He's sorry for being an ass and treating you the way he did. It _won't_ be happening again."

"Tch. Such a troublesome woman." He rubbed the back of his head and then sighed once more. "I'm not saying I don't blame you still, because there's things you could have done to prevent Ino's death and you know it."

Itachi narrowed his eyes fractionally.

"However, I've also accepted that I could have done just as much – after being nagged at for the past twenty minutes." Shikamaru didn't even flinch when Temari glared at him, even though he surely felt the anger pouring off the blonde in waves. "We all made mistakes that day. It just so happened that…" He took a deep breath, suddenly looking so much older than before. "Ino made the gravest mistake of all."

Sakura dropped her gaze to the ground. "…I know."

"The others are about to enter." Itachi's free hand touched her back, momentarily shocking her. "Save this conversation for tomorrow, when you can both talk privately."

It seemed the excuse to stop talking relieved Shikamaru, because he shut his eyes and lowered his head, breathing out a sigh and relaxing.

As if on cue, the door to the bunker opened and Sasuke was helping Naruto enter, his features marred by an annoyed glower and behind them, the others piled in.

"Heavy atmosphere," Naruto mumbled tiredly.

"Empty head," Temari retorted coolly and turned on her heel, sitting back down at the table.

That seemed to wake him up, if only by a small amount, before he glanced over at Sakura and grinned. "You didn't have to wait for me to come to bed, Sakura-chan."

Oh great…

She'd forgotten about sharing with him.

Without a word, she pulled away from Itachi and reached for her backpack. "I'm going to get changed," Sakura announced so that none of them would walk in on her.

* * *

It wasn't the best night sleep she'd ever had.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Sakura yawned, only just managing to catch it with her hand.

The entire time, Naruto had kept her squashed up against the wall, making her cringe every time he breathed directly onto her neck and _don't_ even get her started on the fact that his toes kept touching her legs – don't ask her how that was possible, since he was much taller than herself.

It was all completely subconscious, so Sakura knew she couldn't exactly blame him for it, but _damn it_, she'd come so close to punching him straight across the room when his hand fell to her hip, trying to bring her body closer to his. Instead of hitting him, she'd somehow managed to slip out of the bed and spent the rest of the night seated at the table, with her head in her arms. It was why she was so uncomfortable and why her muscles were so stiff.

Nobody had questioned her actions when Tenzo had awoken her the next morning, quietly warning her that everyone else was in the process of waking up.

In order to keep Naruto from feeling guilty and to also relieve herself of some of the tension in her muscles, Sakura had dressed and gone outside for an early morning workout. It was just basic stretches at first, but she slowly worked her way up to doing a perimeter run.

It had surprised her, however, how close they were to the forest. While travelling to the border, it felt like they'd been running for hours before reaching Gaara and his siblings, when in fact it was actually only five minutes away. It must have been the heat that made them feel that way.

They would have to keep their eye on that, just to be sure nobody was hiding within the cover of the trees and watching Naruto's training. There'd already been a few people who openly tried taking the Kyuubi's power for their own. Saying that, though, they'd also gone after the Ichibi's, too. As much as Sakura hated to admit it, her mission was to protect Gaara just as much as it was to protect Naruto. Perhaps not officially, but in her eyes, it was and she hoped that the teams accompanying Gaara were following the same thought process as herself.

"You look deep in thought."

Green eyes drifted upwards and she smiled softly at the sight of Kakashi. Patting the space beside her, she silently told him to join her. It didn't take her former sensei long to sit down, bending his knees upwards and resting his arms on them. What an uncomfortable looking position, she thought to herself. They were in the shade of the trees, watching from the distance as the two jinchūriki resumed their training from the night before. If they'd thought that Gaara was serious last night, then they were sorely mistaken. His methods were absolutely brutal, conveying without even trying the strict way he'd been raised and trained.

No breaks.

No warnings.

No breathers.

And if Naruto so much as complained about the training, Gaara came at him harder than before.

"You didn't get much sleep last night."

Sakura gave a tired smile. "That obvious?"

"I think you woke half the bunker up with your angry aura, Sakura," he told her with a smirk. "You're forgetting that most of us are members of ANBU, meaning we've trained ourselves to wake at the slightest of sounds, too."

This time, she sighed, deciding to reply honestly with, "He kept touching me and it made me uncomfortable."

Kakashi nodded, not surprising her by already knowing why she'd gotten out of bed. "It wouldn't have been the first time we slept in the same bed if you'd joined me."

Sakura smiled again and shook her head. "I was a kid back then, Kakashi-sensei. It's different now."

"I personally believe that it was more uncomfortable sharing a bed with you when you were a child," Kakashi admitted, scratching the side of his head. "Sure, I was less likely to react to sharing a bed with you than I would now, but to others, it still would have been a cause for concern."

That was understandable. Considering the fact that Kakashi was at least fourteen years her senior, had her parents known that she'd been sharing a bed with him when she was just twelve years old… Well, it wouldn't have been a pretty sight, especially considering the fact that, half the time, they'd been in an inn with a room to themselves. Now that she was older, however, Sakura couldn't help feeling it would be grossly inappropriate to share a single bed with Kakashi. They were… _He_ was a grown adult and she was… She was becoming a woman. The only reason why she'd chosen Naruto was because he was smaller than the other guys and she'd foolishly believed that meant more room for her in the bed.

What a joke.

She could always try Sasuke, but Sakura felt as though that would be more uncomfortable than sharing with Kakashi. He still wasn't one hundred percent okay with her.

"I'll see how Naruto behaves tonight," she told him.

He nodded once and looked out at the desert. "I heard Shikamaru has finally accepted the truth."

It wasn't a question, but Sakura found herself responding like it was. "He looks… lighter today."

"Like a heavy weight has left his shoulders," Kakashi agreed. He sighed. "I don't think he's completely over Ino's death – it would be too sudden if he was."

"But he's learning to cope," she finished his sentence, easily catching onto what he was getting at.

"Yeah." There was a pause before he said with a smirk, "I see you've settled into your team well."

Sakura smiled and chuckled for a moment. "Did you expect any different? I'm your favourite, adorable student, after all."

His hand came to her head, causing her smile to dim and change for a scowl when Kakashi ruffled her hair. "That you are."

Catching the hand in her hair and giving him a warning look, she relaxed when he returned his hand to himself, lest he wished to lose it. It was bad enough that the wind made it impossible to keep control over her hair. The last thing she needed was for her sensei to mess it up even further.

"I see you've gotten close to Itachi-san."

She blinked in surprise. "Eh?"

But Kakashi wasn't looking at her, he was watching the training session again, pretending to be interested in Gaara beating down on Naruto. The blond was growling and losing his temper, making it even easier for him.

"For as long as I have known him, Itachi-san has never been the one to show any attention to his teammates outside of missions. However," he murmured, a single eye returning to her features, regarding her. "I've noticed he's been spending a lot of time with you."

Did others think that, too? That she and Itachi were getting close? Sakura bit her lip. Her feelings for him were… unknown. Sure, she liked him and he was great company and good looking, but she wasn't certain about anything else. For others to think they were getting _close_, however… Was Itachi okay with that? What if it made him back off again? They hadn't kissed since that awful day, but they'd been holding hands. There was the odd touch here and there when Itachi would be forcing her to do something she didn't want to do – such as going to bed to get some rest. The night before, he'd put his hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the bunker and then to the bed.

Did others question their actions? Was that why Shisui had warned her not to lead him on? _Was that what she was doing?_

"We're friends," she replied with a hint of uncertainty.

"A friendship like Rin and Obito's, or a friendship like Minato-sensei and Kushina-san's?"

What were the differences? She pulled a face. "Sensei, they're both couples – Hokage-sama and Kushina-sama are married."

"Yes, but before Obito finally managed to pluck up the courage and ask Rin out, they were best friends. Others often mistook their friendship for more, though."

Best friends…

It was only recently that Obito had asked Rin out. It had been right after her last mission with Team Seven-

That was a year ago.

_How much had she missed?_

Up until three days ago, when they first set out on their current mission, Sakura hadn't thought too much on her social life and what was going on with others. But being squashed in a bunker with her former team _and_ her current team made her realise just how much she'd missed by being in ANBU. It was taking over her life, leaving her with little to no time to spend to herself and just… _live_.

When was the last time she did any work at the hospital? When was the last time she spent time with any of her friends? When was the last time she managed to sit down for a meal with her parents?

It stung her that she couldn't answer any of those questions.

Kakashi sighed and lifted his arm, making Sakura bite her lip as she snuggled into his side, her left hand coming up and twisting in his sweatshirt.

"Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head. They couldn't talk about it. ANBU missions and anything that accompanied it, was highly classified. "You're awful at advice."

Not for a single second did Sakura regret her decision to join ANBU, because she'd never felt more useful and needed, but the thought of missing out on so much that was going on in her friends' lives… It was agonising. The whole point of fighting to protect her village was to make sure they could live in peace. What was the point if she never got to be a part of it?

"If it ever becomes too much, you can always speak to Minato-sensei about it. You know that, don't you?"

Sakura nodded and shook once when she felt Kakashi tighten his arm around her shoulders. Her teeth were clenched, eyes squeezed shut and now her forehead was pressed firmly to his side, right over his heart. The sound of it beating, so strong and steady, helped to calm her down a little.

_This_ was why she did it.

_This was all the reason she needed._

Even if it meant she was never a part of it all, her precious people were alive and safe.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

Her breath left her as a powerful amount of chakra almost knocked her to the ground. Would have, if it weren't for the fact she sent as much of her own chakra as she could down to her feet, holding her in place firmly.

Raising an arm, Sakura shielded her eyes, protecting them from the sand that was threatening to blind her. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for her mouth and she spluttered, almost choking on the sand that managed to get through her lips when she'd gasped in shock.

Shisui darted forward, Sharingan immediately transforming into the Mangekyō. But Gaara shook his head, silently telling him to back off despite the fact that Naruto was losing control. His entire body was trembling and closing in on itself and the chakra around him was beginning to darken, telling them that it was hurting him. It was peeling his skin off and his blood was causing the chakra surrounding him to darken in colour.

"Are you really going to allow it take over, Naruto?" he questioned, his sand immediately coming to his defence when the Kyuubi attempted to attack, knocking it back down to the ground and pinning it. "Will you let it kill your precious people, the ones you fight so hard to protect?"

An angered roar was his only reply.

"I believed you to be stronger than that," he muttered, his brows knitting together. "What a disappointment you really are, Uzumaki Naruto and because of this, all your precious people will die."

"Shut…"

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"Shut up!"

Naruto shot up from his crouched position, his hands coming up to his head and at the exact same moment, the chakra surrounding him seemed to explode outwards. Red gave way to a pale shade of yellow, causing Sakura's breath to leave her.

Just as quickly, the yellow faded and Naruto fell to his knees, breathing hard.

"Haruno." Her head snapped up, looking to Gaara. "Check him over."

"Remember that feeling, Naruto," Gaara spoke to him as Sakura went about checking him over with her chakra, giving him a small smile when blue eyes met green. "If you lose even an ounce of control, the Kyuubi _will_ slaughter your loved ones without hesitation."

He gritted his teeth and looked away from Sakura, seeming unable to meet her eyes. "…I know."

It took only minutes for her to heal him of his wounds, though he would feel tender for a while. She looked to Gaara. "It'll be best if he rests for a while inside. His skin is going to be too sensitive for him to be out here."

But Naruto shook his head, disagreeing. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan." He pulled himself to his feet with a quiet grunt and stretched his arm muscles. "I need to keep at this if I want to make any progress." When he looked up at Gaara, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Right, Gaara?"

There was a fraction of a second pause, one where Gaara regarded them both, before he nodded once. "Due to the Kyuubi, Naruto heals faster than an ordinary person."

"I _know_ that," Sakura snapped, showing her agitation at being questioned. "But _I'm_ the medic around here and _I'm_ telling _you_ that Naruto is going inside and he is resting until _I_ say it's okay for him to be out under this sun." Resting her hands on her hips, she glowered at the pair of them, noticing how Naruto was gulping. "Get inside, Naruto. Don't make me drag you in there."

"Haruno-"

Green eyes clashed with icy blue and even though Sakura feared Gaara, she refused to be overlooked. She was no pushover when it came to her patients and in that moment, Naruto was her number one priority.

"Are you a medic-nin, all of a sudden?" she demanded in a dangerous tone.

He folded his arms over his chest. "No, but I _am_ a jinchūriki and I understand how our bodies work with the tailed beast's help."

The others were wisely staying out of it, instead looking on and exchanging unsure glances from back near the bunker. The only movement that was made was Shisui going to stand with the rest of them, as he'd been standing closer to the group of three.

"Naruto, get in the bunker." Sakura met his eyes, narrowing hers seriously.

He looked like a child as he looked between her and Gaara, not knowing who to fear more.

"Naruto-"

"Naruto-"

When they spoke at the same time, she couldn't help but glower up at the redhead, just as he narrowed his eyes on her.

Before he even realised what she was about to do, however, Sakura lunged and grabbed a tight hold of Naruto's arm.

"Itachi!"

And then she launched the blond through the air, much too fast for Gaara's sand to keep up with, even though it did its best to compete. Only after he crashed into the ground mere inches from his feet did Itachi reach down and grab him by the collar of the back of his shirt, dragging Naruto into the bunker without another word.

It was obvious Gaara was angry when he looked back to her, but Sakura merely winked and made the victory sign before turning her back on him, grinning at the awestruck group as she followed Itachi and Naruto into the bunker.

* * *

"Sakura, it would be best if you didn't intentionally anger Gaara-kun," Itachi chided quietly.

"I can handle him-"

"That is not what I am talking about." He sat down at the table, waiting until she was sitting with him to continue. "It puts everyone on edge. He is the Ichibi's jinchūriki, meaning he is the most unstable jinchūriki of them all."

"C'mon, guys." Chuckling, Naruto sat down opposite Itachi and folded his arms behind his head, grinning. "Gaara's not that bad, you know? He's just had a rougher life than the rest of us."

That was no excuse to start murdering people for your own sick pleasure. Jinchūriki or not, Gaara was a person foremost and should have had at least a small amount of compassion and empathy for others. Did he even feel any remorse for what he'd done?

She rubbed her forehead, unable to deal with something that seemed so insignificant – which was what _everything_ suddenly felt like, due to the inescapable heat that was suffocating her. It was the sort of heat that made you feel as though you weren't getting any fresh air. Sakura felt sweaty and filthy and like she'd never ever get rid of every grain of sand that was currently sticking to her.

Grabbing her canteen, Sakura guzzled down the water greedily, gasping for breath once it was all gone and wiping her mouth sloppily. They were both staring at her when the canteen was placed onto the table. She stared back.

"So," Naruto mumbled awkwardly. "What can we do now?"

The guy was still bright pink from his transformation and it would have made for quite the comical sight, if it weren't for the fact that it meant he'd been in pain and that was something that always got to her. The thought of any of the people in her life being hurt upset her, especially if she wasn't there to ease that pain.

"You should probably eat something," she informed Naruto. "I know the Kyuubi heals you, but you shouldn't be training on an empty stomach. It won't help you in the long run." When he merely pouted, Sakura rolled her eyes. "Want me to make you some instant ramen?"

_That_ made him happy.

The Uchiha beside him glanced down at him with an unreadable expression.

"Would you like some, Itachi?"

"I am capable of making my own," he replied. "You should not feel like you have to slave over us."

Blue eyes went wide. "Sakura-chan, I don't-"

She laughed it off. "Don't worry about it. I'm making some for myself, anyway."

Itachi sighed, but didn't argue.

* * *

"Now what?"

Damn it, Sakura had forgotten how annoying Naruto could be when he was bored.

"It's your own fault," Kakashi commented cheerily.

After they had eaten lunch, the smell had attracted the others, who had all returned with their own personal missions of satisfying their hunger. It had been quite nice, surprisingly. Sakura had enjoyed sitting around a table that was so full others had to sit elsewhere. There was never a pause in chatter, despite who was there. It felt so… homely. It was such a bittersweet feeling, knowing that back at home, it was just herself in her apartment, eating alone. So while she enjoyed it, it also made her realise how isolated ANBU had forced her to become.

Once they had finished eating, Itachi, Naruto and Sakura had moved aside so that others could sit at the table and eat their lunch. That didn't mean they were excluded from conversations, however.

Not for a second did she regret her decision to join ANBU – she simply wished she was able to have a social life at the same time. Spend time with friends and family. Have fun. Hell, she wasn't even seventeen yet and it already felt like all her teenage years had disappeared from her.

"What about an arm wrestling match?" Naruto suddenly suggested.

Sakura's interest was piqued and by her side, Kakashi shook his head and chuckled.

"Kankuro." The blond was suddenly pointing at the Suna-nin, a serious expression on his face. "I challenge you."

"Oh?" Temari smirked and nudged her brother with her elbow. "You better rise to the challenge like a man, Kankuro. You wouldn't want to disappoint your sister, would you?" She leaned in closer, her smirk becoming sly. "Or make your younger brother feel like he is the only male sibling?"

The brunet growled under his breath. "Shut up, Temari!" Slamming his hand down onto the table, his moved his dark glare to Naruto, who merely grinned. "Sit down and prepare yourself, kid."

In response, he brought his hands together, cracking his knuckles in what was supposed to be an intimidating gesture.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sat back on his bed, already bored, whereas the rest of them all watched the scene.

Naruto sat down at the table and placed his elbow onto it, hand ready and waiting until Kankuro grasped it in his own. The muscles in his arm flexed and Sakura had to admit that _that_ was more intimidating than Naruto ever could be. After all, Kankuro was not a small man. His build was sturdy and she had no doubt that beneath all those large black clothes, was a body made of nothing but pure muscle.

"No chakra." Kakashi decided to make the rules.

"I'm fine with that." The blond smirked. "I don't need chakra to beat this guy."

Kankuro returned the smirk.

"Go."

It didn't surprise Sakura in the least when they both grunted, their expressions twisting with the strain.

She leaned closer to Kakashi. "Up for making a be-"

But she didn't even get the chance to finish the sentence. In an instant, Naruto growled under his breath and managed to slam Kankuro's hand to the table.

Temari folded her arms over her chest and huffed. "What an embarrassment."

"Who's next?" Naruto demanded before declaring, "I'll win against you all!"

Sakura hopped down from the bed when Kankuro got up and dragged himself to sit beside Gaara, who looked up at him blankly, making the older brother sigh dejectedly.

"What about me?"

Naruto pouted up at her. "That's not fair, Sakura-chan! You've got monstrous strength."

But Itachi stepped forward at her challenge and sat down where Kankuro had once been sitting. In response, Sakura stood next to the blond, raising an expectant eyebrow. He was quick to vacate the seat, eyes widening as he sat beside them, leaning closer.

When Sakura sat down and adjusted in her seat, Itachi quietly told him, "I would suggest moving back, Naruto-kun."

"Don't be stupid," he laughed. "This will be over in seconds. Right, Sakura-chan?"

She smirked, eyes locking with Itachi's. "Definitely."

Back in Dāto, she'd wondered how Itachi would fair in an arm wrestling match against her after watching him successfully restrain a convulsing patient without any assistance. It seemed she was about to find out. Even Sasuke was intrigued as he sat up on his bed, eyes narrowing.

"Oh?" Kakashi looked to Tenzo. "What do you think the outcome will be?"

"Itachi-senpai, obviously." He looked back at his superior when a breathy chuckle was his only reply. "You don't agree?"

The older man smirked. "I didn't say that. However, our Sakura-chan has yet to lose to anyone in an arm wrestling match." His eye filled with pride. "That includes Tsunade-sama."

It had taken her several years to finally defeat her shishou in an arm wrestling match. Every time she had challenged her during their travels, she'd laughed in Sakura's face and then defeated her without even trying. Since returning to Konoha, however, she managed to become stronger until one day, Tsunade wasn't laughing as she ended up across the room. They were no longer allowed to have wrestling matches in public areas.

"It's not too late to back out," Sakura told Itachi and bit her lip, trying to smother her excitement. "I promise I won't hold it against you."

"Come on, Itachi." Shisui patted his shoulder before moving further back. "You're not going to lose to a little pink haired girl and disgrace the Uchiha name, are you?"

Green eyes shot to him, narrowing. "Why don't you have a go afterwards, Shisui?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't want your pride to be too bruised in one day."

Sasuke raised a brow, giving her an expectant look.

She nodded once.

_She would win this!_

To make sure it would be fair, both she and Itachi kept one arm behind their backs before settling the other onto the table.

Temari looked to Shikamaru as the tension in the air grew. "Should I be ordering a new table?"

There was a sigh.

They joined hands and Sakura shifted her fingers, making sure she had a decent grip just as he flexed his arm, moving his elbow to a more comfortable position.

"This is the most intense fucking arm wrestling match _ever_," Naruto exclaimed and continued to ignore Itachi's warning. Hands planting into the ground, he leaned forward once more. "Go!"

Neither of them budged. Sakura looked up from their hands, smirking at Itachi as she noticed the slight crease in his eyebrows.

"How about this, Itachi?" she almost purred, her hand already pushing his downwards, much to the surprise of everyone else. "We can both use chakra on the grounds that we don't destroy the bunker."

"Don't do it," laughed Naruto.

"Deal."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

In an instant, chakra flared throughout their bodies, showing around them and beneath their elbows, the table shook and cracked. Sakura gritted her teeth as Itachi managed to tip their hands back to the centre. It was a good thing she was wearing short sleeves today, otherwise her arm would have slipped on the table in response to the pressure being put on her elbow.

Saying that, though…

Another flare of chakra and she was back to pushing his hand toward the table. Was she going to be forced to use more chakra? Sakura bit her lip and the strain showed on her features. From the look in Itachi's eyes, she was guessing he wasn't using as much chakra, either.

"It seems you take after your shishou after all, Sakura." It surprised her that his voice held a teasing lilt to it and when she looked up into his eyes again, they were definitely amused. Was he recalling the bag incident from their very first mission together? "Like her, you lose."

Naruto's eyes widened.

And not even a fraction of a second later, he managed to overpower her, slamming Sakura's hand into the table. It cracked under their strength, falling to the ground in two pieces, going onto breaking the door that led to the rations and as she spun, her leg caught Naruto's shoulder, knocking him backwards.

She was too stunned to say anything, simply staring up at the ceiling with adrenaline rushing through her veins.

How…

She shot up from where she'd fallen to the floor, unconcerned about the blond as he muttered about being in pain and stared up at Itachi in admiration. "How did you do that?"

Sasuke tsked under his breath and looked away, bored once more.

"I have watched you fight," he informed her. "I know your strength. It only makes sense that I learn how to counter it."

"You…" She shook her head, a disbelieving laugh escaping her.

"You sneaky bastard!" Naruto was once more laughing and suddenly on his knees, elbowing Sakura in the side. "Suppose that means you're not the strongest anymore, right?"

That wasn't entirely true. During their arm wrestling match, Sakura had been able to sense how much chakra he was using and how much it took out of him, especially that last burst. That strength would always be a last resort, unlike her own. It could only be used in short bursts, unlike her own.

Instead of saying such things, she glared down at him, making him gulp and shrink away from her. "I can always purposely kick you."

"S-Sorry!"

Sighing, Sakura gave him a more considerate expression. "Are you hurt?"

He smiled. "Don't worry about me, Sakura-chan."

The rolling of her eyes couldn't be helped, neither could her grabbing his ear and giving a firm tug to make sure she had his full attention. "Idiot, I'll always worry about you!"

Much to her surprise, the smile became watery as tears filled his blue eyes. The look Naruto was giving her was nothing short of heartbreak. "Even if… we're not a team anymore?"

It took everything not to join him. "What part of always don't you understand?" she snapped, but they all heard the sadness in her voice. It overshadowed the anger without even trying. "I love both you and Sasuke-kun with all my heart."

Kakashi pouted, waving his hand. "What about your old sensei, Sakura-chan?"

"You too!"

Sasuke huffed and looked anywhere but at them.

_Gods,_ she'd missed her boys.

"Now that the sob-fest is over." Temari stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Which one of you girls want to challenge me?"

Shikamaru slapped a hand to his face. "So troublesome."

* * *

"You know, Sakura-chan…"

Her eyebrow ticked and against the sheet, her fists clenched. "Yeah, Naruto?"

His forehead pressed to the back of her head and she had to bite back the harsh order for him to give her some more space. Fortunately for him, Naruto was keeping his hands to himself – well, kind of. They were resting between them and due to sharing the covers, she could feel where his hands were. If they moved even a millimetre closer, she would unman him.

"Could you maybe try and come on more missions with us?" he asked quietly, his voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. "We miss you, even if Sasuke won't admit it."

Sakura shut her eyes and tried her best to ignore the lump in her throat. The others were fast asleep, save for themselves and Gaara, who was currently outside meditating. Apparently he found the night air to be relaxing and preferred it to being stuck indoors all night. She wasn't surprised. The sound of others snoring while sleeping peacefully, when you weren't allowed to enjoy the luxury of sleep, would drive anyone insane.

"I can't promise anything," she whispered in return. "But I can ask Hokage-sama."

She could feel his frown. "Just call him by his name, Sakura-chan. My dad thinks of you as part of the family, anyways."

How could he say something like that in such a laid-back manner? It wasn't appropriate. Minato, despite what he thought of her, was Hokage, therefore, she _had_ to show him respect. Even Naruto was supposed to address him as Yondaime or Hokage, though he obviously disobeyed those rules – and countless other rules, too.

But Naruto had a point and it struck her deeply. It was the first time in a long time that they were spending so much time together and it made Sakura truly realise how much she missed Team Seven. It wasn't just a team. They were her family.

When Naruto's breathing evened out, telling her that he'd finally drifted off to sleep, she released a quiet sigh and shut her eyes. To try and alleviate some of the claustrophobia she'd been experiencing the night before, Sakura had decided to sleep on the edge of the bed this time, instead of against the wall.

Neji was capable of dividing his time between teams, so why was it so impossible for her to do the same?

Once more, her eyebrow began ticking when Naruto placed a hand on her hip, but soon enough his arm was wrapping around her and holding her closely.

"I missed you, Sakura-chan," he mumbled, clearly deep in sleep.

She smiled sadly. Idiot. She'd missed him too.

Perhaps if she had a word with Minato, he'd try his best to make sure she got at least one mission with Team Seven? Even one mission a month was fine by her. However, there was always the chance that her ANBU squad would get called away during that time. There was every chance that they would desperately need her on their mission-

_Oh hell no!_

Sakura jumped out of bed so fast that she almost knocked herself out on the metal frame belonging to Sasuke's. When she looked back down at the slumbering blond, her upper lip curled at the gestures his hands were making, at the kissing faces he was pulling and the… Her eyebrow ticked. The _grinding_ movements his hips had started, forcing her to feel his… his…

"Mm, Sakura-chan." He giggled and a blush swept his cheeks. "You want me to help you stretch?"

His erection. It seemed he was yet to get over his crush on her. That was the only thing holding her back from pummelling him to death, since she knew how painful one-sided feelings were.

Movement out of the corner of her eye had Sakura looking to the left and she blinked in surprise at the sight of Itachi sitting up. There was an annoyed glower on his features, but as their eyes met, it vanished. He slid to the side until his shoulder was almost brushing the wall. Then, he raised the sheet. Sakura hesitated just as she stepped forward.

How was sharing a bed with Uchiha Itachi any better than sharing with Kakashi? They were both grown men who were older than herself and-

She sighed and silently walked over to his bed, smiling gratefully as she shuffled in beside him and the cover was placed over them both. Itachi had seen her at her most vulnerable. How could she not feel comfortable with him?

Resting her head onto the single pillow, Sakura shut her eyes and a second later, she felt the other end of the pillow dip as Itachi settled back down.

Even though he had treated her so poorly the other day, she truly believed he was trying to make up for it. It wasn't through any over the top gesture and he wasn't repeating himself by telling her over and over that he was sorry. It was… hard to describe. It was like she just couldn't stay mad at him.

"Thank you, Itachi." Sakura reached out and smiled when he met her halfway, allowing her to entwine their fingers.

* * *

He awoke early the next morning, long before the sun rose.

Disentangling himself from Sakura, Itachi managed to climb over her and off the bed, all the while wary of waking his teammate. He hesitated in heading to the bathroom to get dressed, glancing down at her before he was fixing the covers so that she would be covered properly.

Last night, when Naruto's… absurd and grossly inappropriate behaviour had awoken him, Itachi had been fully intent on telling the blond to go and take a cold shower. However, when he saw the uncertain, vulnerable look in Sakura's eyes, he'd invited her to his bed without questioning himself or his actions. The way Naruto had been acting was unforgivable and insulting, but she hadn't seemed to be overly angry. She was wary, in fact. No, more like she was torn. Perhaps the blond had feelings for her and Sakura didn't want to break his heart?

It would explain why, whenever they were guarding the Hokage and he came bursting into the office, he was always demanding to see her. It also explained why he never thought twice about forgiving her.

On his way to the bathroom, Itachi spared a single glance at the blond who was currently wrapped around his pillow.

Was he in love with Sakura?

Itachi frowned and shut the door behind himself, locking it. It wasn't much protection against powerful shinobi, but it gave them all just an ounce of privacy and stopped any accidental 'walk ins' from happening.

His shower was short and routine as Itachi went through the motions of cleansing his body and hair, allowing the latter to remain down as it dried naturally.

How did Sakura feel about Naruto? Did she return his feelings? The questions displeased him. Surely she didn't reciprocate those feelings? After all, Sakura had kissed him – twice. If she was in love with Naruto, then certainly she would have saved her first kiss, along with everything else, for him? Why would she waste it on somebody such as himself?

The sun was just breaking the horizon as Itachi left the bunker. It was a beautiful sight, in his eyes. The stars were barely visible and the sky was beginning to lighten, but it was the meaning behind the sunrise that had him enjoying the sight of it.

A new day.

It was something to be thankful for, because life was much too short for people like them.

* * *

She didn't comment on the fact that she awoke alone the next morning in Itachi's bed. Nor did anyone else comment on it. It seemed they'd all heard Naruto's crude sleep-talk for themselves and had decided in their own individual ways that Sakura sharing a bed with Itachi (the man who was known for his composure and whatnot) was way better than being molested in her sleep.

Speaking of Naruto…

A smile graced her lips.

As always, he was working hard. It had only been a week and already, he could keep control of the Kyuubi right until the fifth tail – a vast improvement, considering he and Sasuke took a month to gain control of _one_ tail. Not only that, but it also didn't take him two seconds to forgive her. All Naruto asked was that she tried her best to come back to them whenever it was possible.

Why was she so surprised? Naruto had a heart that was even bigger than hers.

To pass the time – for the others soon grew bored of watching Naruto and Gaara all the time – they also trained. That included Suna's ANBU, too.

Not once did they see the people behind the masks and for that, Sakura commended them. It had to be difficult to go about their daily routines while wearing their masks, because she herself knew how suffocating it felt after a while, especially under the harsh sun. After a while, you just wanted to feel… like a person. Having to sleep in their masks and eat when nobody else was around had to be annoying. They didn't complain once, though.

Sakura divided her time between reading the medical textbooks she'd brought along with her and training with either Sasuke or Kakashi. They'd both been stunned when she hadn't immediately gone for the kill with her enhanced strength, complimenting her on her new moves and grace.

It was strange. Before they mentioned it, Sakura had never really thought about how she looked while fighting. When using enhanced strength, it was kind of obvious that she wouldn't look like a ballerina, but instead a rampaging elephant. Now it was all she could see whenever she trained. Since joining ANBU, her movements had become lighter and she moved more quickly, with more flexibility and gentleness.

She felt graceful.

That was more than likely Itachi's influence.

Since their first night of sharing a bed, he always kept against the wall, silently offering the other half of the bed to her and without hesitating, she took it. Sure, Naruto had been heartbroken when he found out, but Sakura couldn't help it. As much as she loved him, she didn't enjoy being groped in her sleep. She didn't blame him for the dirty dreams, because it wasn't exactly his fault. It was his subconscious telling him what he wanted.

Every morning, she would wake up alone, sprawled out across the bed and hogging the covers entirely. It didn't bother her that Itachi was never there. He was an early riser and she supposed he was determined to get more training done.

Lately, he was especially engrossed in his own training, pushing his body to the absolute limits as he sparred with Shisui. It was almost like the older Uchiha was training him and it made her wonder how alike the two universes were. Despite the obvious differences, Itachi was still being trained by Shisui before then passing on that knowledge to his younger brother.

"There's a difference in the air today."

Sakura startled.

There was a huff, followed by a muted thump as somebody sat opposite her at the table. "Are you scared of me?"

"No, I…" She sighed, glancing down at her medical books. "I don't fear you, Shikamaru," Sakura told him, but then admitted quietly, "Though I _am_ scared of your mental health."

"I can't disagree with you there." When she looked back at him, she found Shikamaru watching her carefully. He ducked his head, scratching the side of it. "All that anger… It wasn't fair to direct it onto you. Temari was right. It was always aimed at myself."

Sakura bit her lip and closed her book, pushing it aside to show that he had her full attention. "Her parents don't blame you, you know," she stated softly. "They're still hurting, sure, and I don't think that pain in their hearts will ever leave them, but… During…" She sighed. "During Ino's funeral, Inoichi-san approached me and told me not to be a stranger. He was sad that you weren't there."

Brown eyes refused to meet hers. They stared down at the table unseeingly and by the clenching of his fists, Sakura could tell that her words hurt him. It hurt to even mention Ino's name some days, however, it would never get easier unless they opened their hearts again. Ino would want them to open their hearts. Then again, she'd probably love the attention she was receiving. That would be so like her.

"I couldn't face them," he admitted in a whisper. "Choji and I were the ones who told them of her death." His eyes were distant when they returned to hers and it made her throat tighten. "They didn't believe us at first, they kept telling us to cut it out, because it wasn't funny. I think… I don't know what made it finally dawn on them, but…" Shikamaru's jaw clenched and he shut his eyes. "I can still hear her mom crying out Ino's name even now."

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

Ino's mother had been inconsolable and even now, the flower shop was barely hanging on by a thread. It was with the support of the Akimichi and Nara clans that it was still up and running. Both Shikamaru's and Choji's mothers had stepped in, working whenever they could spare the time. It may have been their fathers who were the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho formation, but their mothers were definitely something else and always had each other's backs.

"But… you were hurting too, weren't you?" his voice shook as he spoke. "I didn't make it any easier, did I?" Sakura could only shake her head, unable to find her voice. "You were like Ino's sister," he muttered, but the fight to control his voice was pointless. It was a losing battle. "That's why… I shoved all my anger onto you. I'm supposed to be a genius, but you… You were supposed to know her inside and out. You should have known what she was planning and told me."

Anger.

He was getting angry.

But just as Sakura tried to defend herself, Shikamaru cut her off by reaching out across the table, shocking her when he wiped away the tears on her cheeks. They'd been sent a new table two days ago, after she and Itachi broke the previous one.

"You're Ino's sister, even if you're not blood related," he murmured. "If she was still here, I'd be dead for the way I've been treating you."

There was no denying that. Ino would have either beaten the shit out of him, or yelled at him until he bowed in submission to her, if only to make her shut up. "I-"

"Let me finish." Shikamaru lowered his head, his hands dropping from her face and onto the table. "Choji keeps telling me to ease up – he doesn't even talk to me that much anymore. Ino's death has changed a lot of things, Sakura. It's affected everything."

Yes, it had.

"It's even changed you, hasn't it?" he questioned rhetorically. "You're a member of ANBU now. She always said you'd bloom, but I never really paid much attention to her. It seems she was right all along, though."

Once again, the tears started and her bottom lip trembled.

"I let her death affect me negatively, whereas you fought hard to become stronger. I let it drag me down and along the way, I tried to drag you down with me." Shikamaru shut his eyes, sighing, "Thank you for not letting me succeed. I'd never be able to face Ino in the afterlife if that happened."

Before he could stop her, Sakura lunged across the table, wrapping her arms around him. "If you ever need anyone, Shikamaru, know that I'm here." He was still in her arms, refusing to move a single inch or return the gesture. "Choji already knows that, too. Ino-Pig isn't around to protect her boys anymore, so I promised her I'd protect you both for her."

"Ino-Pig," he repeated, his voice shaking again and after several moments, he returned the gesture, dropping his forehead to her shoulder. "It's been a while since I heard that."

It brought back so many memories for them both.


	25. Show Me What You're Capable Of

**Chapter 25**

**Show Me What You're Capable Of**

* * *

"How do you feel?"

Sakura took a deep breath, smiling up at Shisui and Itachi as she stood beside them both. The heat was awful and her skin was burning horrifically, but she couldn't find it in herself to complain. That conversation with Shikamaru had been long overdue.

Stretching her arms way above her head, she grinned at them both. "I haven't felt so light in years."

"Why? Did you just take a huge dump?"

The grin vanished as Sakura froze in her stretch and in stilted movements, she glared viciously at the man who suddenly appeared. "Why are _you_ here?" she demanded and reached out, grabbing the collar of his ridiculous black crop top and shaking him violently. "Have you come to torture me some more, huh?"

Many tensed at the pure malice in her voice and spun around to see what was happening, only to pause in confusion at the sight of the apparently unwelcome visitor. They weren't worried, since they could all see that he was a shinobi of Konoha. They couldn't help but wonder why she wasn't so keen on him, though found out moments later.

Sai smiled despite the roughness that was causing his entire body to jerk backwards and forwards. "That would be a complete waste of my time, Ugly."

They all flinched like _they_ were the ones about to receive her wrath.

Instead of attacking (since she knew that he was totally clueless when it came to social interactions), Sakura shoved him away from her and folded her arms over her chest defensively. She continued to glare. "Then why are you here?"

"Hokage-sama wished for me to deliver a message." Sai reached into his pouch, stunning them all by his lack of concern about her anger. As soon as he found it, he held it out to in Itachi's direction. "He-"

Uncharacteristically, Itachi cut him off. "Sakura is the captain of this mission, Sai-kun."

He paused, sparing her a glance before dropping the scroll into her hands. "Mission complete. I'll be off now."

Just as he turned to leave, Sakura called out, "Wait, Sai. Did you come here alone?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head to the side. "Are you showing concern for my well being, Ugly?"

Her eye twitch, along with her eyebrow.

Shisui sighed. "Sai-san, you know that Sakura does not appreciate your nickname for her."

"Nickname?" Kankuro repeated from further back. "Nicknames are supposed to be something that relates to the person."

Sai looked over at Kankuro, taking in his appearance and Sakura hoped and prayed that he wouldn't try giving the guy a nickname. They could do without the trouble it would cause. "You don't agree that Sakura-san is ugly?"

The brunet glanced at her, his eyes roaming her features for a few moments until he shook his head. "No."

She blushed, smiling sheepishly. It wasn't every day that she received compliments. "Ah… Thank you, Kankuro-san."

"That shouldn't be so surprising." Sai smiled. "You're a man who wears makeup and keeps most of his body covered, after all. You're probably ugly beneath all that, too."

The blush drained rapidly.

"What was that?" demanded Kankuro angrily and behind him, they could hear Temari laughing loudly. He spun around, glaring at her. "Oi, you're supposed to support your younger brother."

When Sai regarded Temari, Sakura quickly intervened, much to the relief of Shikamaru, who instantly sighed and dropped his head like they'd just escaped from certain death.

"Your mission is complete," she spoke with authority as she appeared behind him, pushing Sai in the direction of the forest. "I have received the scroll and now it's time for you to go back to Konoha."

She was _so_ not cleaning up the bloody mess Temari would make of him with that fan of hers, which was conveniently stood beside her with her elbow resting on it. There was a daring expression on her now serious face, like she had picked up on what was about to happen.

His feet dug into the sand, trying to stop her actions and Sai smiled over his shoulder at her. "I will not be travelling by foot, Sakura-san."

Sakura sighed in resignation. There was no point in getting so wound up about it, was there? At the end of the day, Sai was clueless when it came to how to act appropriately. He had no idea how to behave when socialising with others. It was simply the way he'd been brought up, unfortunately.

"Have a safe journey back to Konoha," she told him, offering a small smile of her own.

At the end of the day, despite the fact that they didn't get along, Sai was still her teammate.

A large bird made entirely of ink appeared after he was done drawing it, hopping onto its back once he'd brought it to life. There was a single, awkward wave accompanied by his strange smile before he disappeared.

"Damn it," Kankuro growled, clenching his fists. "Who the hell is that guy?"

"One of Konoha's elite," Itachi replied swiftly. "Sai-kun may be stunted socially, but his strength and abilities are something to admire."

Tenzo nodded once in agreement, folding an arm around his middle and resting his elbow on it, the other hand raising to his chin. It was a thoughtful pose, Sakura realised. "I'm fairly certain I see him around the village reading social etiquette books more often than not."

He was trying to understand, trying to learn more about how to interact with them. Sakura looked down at the sand, feeling incredibly guilty for being so harsh with him.

The oldest Uchiha sighed and shook his head. "It is those books that continuously get Sai-kun into trouble."

Itachi seemed to agree, because he added, "I believe one of them once told him to create nicknames for those he knows by picking out a character trait, or something about their appearance."

Her head dropped and Sakura felt her confidence take an awful blow.

"…Ugly," she repeated quietly in a deadpan.

He frowned down at her. "Sakura-"

And then she was glaring after the disappearing bird high up in the sky, clenching her fist and waving it in the air angrily. "Just you wait until I get my hands on you!" Sakura screamed at the top of her voice. _"Shannaro!"_

* * *

"Troubling developments?"

Sakura nodded, scratching the side of her head as she handed the scroll over to Shisui, who took mere moments to read through it. Once he was done with it, the Uchiha sighed and sat down beside her at the table, placing the scroll down onto it so that they could both stare at it, instead of it being just herself.

"It would explain why Sai-kun was ordered not to travel on foot," he stated. "Alone and on the ground, he would be overpowered. Up in the air he would have the advantage."

She couldn't help but frown, though. "Those drawings are hardly inconspicuous, Shisui," Sakura argued quietly. "You'd have to be pretty dense to mix one of those birds up with a real one."

"That may be so, but Sai-kun will have little to no obstacles in the sky, meaning he will be able to escape."

"Unless they manage to hit the bird. They're like clones. One blow and they disappear."

His hand came to her back in a comforting gesture and he smiled at her softly. "Let's not worry too much, Sakura. Sai-kun is strong."

Yes, in his own way, he was strong. But if he was caught unaware and didn't have the chance to use his ink… Sakura shook her head, inwardly reprimanding herself for having so little faith in her teammate. Not only was Sai a long range fighter, but he was capable of fighting close range, also.

"You're right." She smiled and then looked back to the scroll. "So… What do we do about them?"

"For starters, we need to make everyone aware of the situation." Shisui took his hand back and reached for the scroll, bringing it closer to them. "We will speak with Gaara-kun first and from there, he will inform his team of ANBU." She nodded, listening intently. "We will wait to see what they think before taking any drastic measures. If possible, I would like to keep the fighting to a minimum."

It was impossible to ignore the warming of her heart as Sakura glanced up at Shisui. Those words… The other timeline's Shisui had said something along those lines, too. He'd been wishing for a world of peace, for a village that had no quarrels and was safe.

"As for Naruto-kun, it would be best to keep somebody with him at all times. It cannot be Gaara-kun, either. They could be anticipating that and be ready to capture both of them."

Her warming heart suddenly turned ice cold. "Suna's ANBU already shadow Gaara-kun, right?" Shisui nodded. "However, I've noticed that Gaara-kun enjoys spending the night outside. Perhaps we should take shifts of staying with him? Just to make sure nothing happens while everyone else is sleeping."

Shisui agreed without hesitation. "Really, it should be his own teams that are keeping track of him, but it would be troublesome for the treaty if Gaara-kun is captured. We must protect his life as fiercely as we would protect Naruto-kun's."

Meaning they had to be willing to die for him, too. Had she been younger, had this been before ANBU, Sakura would have refused. She would have stated that there wasn't a chance in hell that she would die for such a monster. But now that she was a member of a squad created by the Hokage, for the sole purpose of protecting the village, Sakura understood clearly what she had to do.

If Gaara was captured, then the treaty would be void. The Kazekage would have reason to believe that it was all a setup, especially if they managed to save Naruto. It could possibly start a war between their villages, since Gaara was not only a jinchūriki, but also the Kazekage's youngest son.

"We should do perimeter runs, too," Sakura suggested. "Send two or three at a time, just in case of any ambushes."

Shisui nodded once, agreeing. "Kakashi-san and Itachi would be the best for those perimeter runs, as they have summons that can travel a vast amount of distance in a short amount of time. They could warn us of an attack."

It wouldn't be fair to always send them out, however. Biting the nail of her thumb thoughtfully, Sakura stared down at the scroll, rereading its contents with narrowed eyes. "I can't use Katsuyu-sama in this heat," she murmured. "But we could try using Kakashi-sensei's ninken. They all know me and they know Sasuke-kun, too. If we're all on separate perimeter runs, then it should be possible."

"We don't want to overwork them, though," Shisui cut in before she could go any further with her plans. "They are still animals, regardless of their status."

That was true. "He has eight ninken, as far as I'm aware of. What if we take one at a time?"

"Itachi's crows would be useful, also." Shisui glanced over at the door of the bunker. "They respond to his needs without him having to call to them. Like Gaara-kun's sand, in a way."

Seriously? She hadn't known that. Back when they fought against Akasuna no Sasori, Sakura had thought that he'd summoned his crows to buy them some time. What if that wasn't the case? What if they realised he was fighting and in need of assistance? It was quite an intriguing thought, as it would mean he was close with nature and animals. Saying that, she shouldn't really be surprised, should she? He did save that cat during their mission, after all. It now lived happily in the Uchiha district, loved dearly by one of the younger Uchiha who spoiled it rotten.

"We will speak with Gaara-kun before making any plans," Shisui suddenly stated. "However, we must all be on our guards now."

Sakura's shoulders slumped as she looked back at the scroll.

_Sightings of rogue-nin around the border have been reported. So far, they have not done anything that requires punishment, but they are headed in your direction. Be wary._

There was every chance that the rogue-nin would go straight by them without a care in the world, or possibly even do their best to avoid such a powerful group. At the same time, though, there was just as much chance of them heading straight for them, wanting to steal the Kyuubi's power along with the Ichibi's.

That could not happen.

* * *

"I see."

Sakura sighed, leaning back against the wall.

It had been an incredibly long day and she found herself wanting to slip into bed and sleep. Maybe a cuddle or two wouldn't be too bad, either, though she supposed that would be pushing it. Itachi probably wasn't the type to cuddle.

"Is there anything you want to add or change about the plan?" Shisui asked, rolling up the scroll and putting it into his pocket.

Sure, it was addressed to her, but in that moment in time, Shisui was a hell of a lot more experienced at handling such a situation. She felt more comfortable with watching and learning, just this once. They'd agreed together that he would take charge.

Gaara seemed thoughtful for a moment, but then shook his head. "No, it should be fine. The only thing we will have to be wary about are the rations. Already, we are low on food and soon enough, somebody will have to go and retrieve not only more food, but also more water."

That damned Naruto! The pig kept stuffing his face, regardless of the fact Kankuro had warned him several times that it was all rationed.

"That can be sorted." Glancing over at her, Shisui told him, "I would like for Sakura to stay by my side for now. This is her first mission as a captain and she is still learning. Itachi, Kakashi-san, Shikamaru-kun and Tenzo-san, however, are all experienced in leading. You can send one of them along with two others to collect everything we will need. I will leave you in charge of that."

The redhead nodded. "Naruto should stay with me, also. If we are under attack, I can use my sand to seal us away from the rogue-nin."

Effectively making it more difficult for their beasts to be taken. As long as they couldn't use any jutsu such as Chidori, then they should be fine, since Sasuke had actually managed to penetrate Gaara's absolute defence with it.

"No matter what, we cannot allow for them to capture either of you. While it may be unpleasant that you won't be fighting alongside of us, it is necessary."

"There's every chance we won't even be fighting," Sakura tried to lighten the tension, giving him a small, hopeful smile. "This is all just a precaution-"

"To protect the Ichibi and the Kyuubi," Gaara finished for her.

She frowned. "No, not to protect them, but to protect both you and Naruto, Gaara-kun." When there was only silence, she sighed, realising how naïve she probably sounded. "I understand that both of our villages view the tailed beasts as weapons and in some ways, view the jinchūriki as weapons, too. However, not all people think that way, Gaara-kun." More silence. It aggravated her. "Naruto is precious to me. He's a friend I love dearly and I will _always_ put his life above that beast's. Just like I know your siblings will for you."

Sighing, Gaara turned away and walked over to the door. "Konoha-nin… You're as sentimental as always."

* * *

She watched as Kakashi bit down on his thumb and slammed it to the ground, awe on her features as eight dogs popped into existence, ready to follow orders the second they arrived and already in formation.

Standing, he looked over them all, giving them all a stern expression, before he smiled and gave each of them a pat on the head. "Good job training them, Pakkun," he complimented. "There's no openings this time."

Openings? Sakura had always believed that there weren't any. Then again, they would be vulnerable when they were first summoned, not fully understanding the situation and it would leave them open for attacks.

Pakkun sniffed the air and then hopped down from Bull's head, trotting over and sitting at her feet. "You still use the same shampoo, Sakura."

She blushed. "It's my favourite. I'm not changing it just because Kakashi-sensei uses it on his ninken – by the way," she then snapped at Kakashi, "it's _wrong_ to do that. Your ninken need shampoo that's-"

"Yes, yes," Kakashi sighed.

"Don't be so rude, Kakashi," Pakkun scolded and then looked back to Sakura. "How are things going, pup?"

It was still odd that he called her a pup, but Kakashi had told her that it was because to Pakkun, that was what they were. They weren't kids, they were puppies. "Better." Kneeling down, Sakura smiled. "Can I pet you?"

The question seemed to please him and she knew it was because he hated it when people thought he was just an average dog, one who wouldn't complain about random people petting him.

"I'm not going to turn down an ear scratch."

Sakura chuckled and did just as he ordered.

Kakashi pouted. "You haven't even greeted me, Pakkun…"

"That's because – oh, yeah. Keep your hand there. That's great." His head tilted in her hand, eyes slipping shut and a content sigh left him. "That's because Sakura always greets me like this, Kakashi. Would it kill you to give an old dog a belly rub every now and then?"

Sighing, he looked over to the other dogs, who were all watching Pakkun enviously.

"Go on, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura laughed when Pakkun licked her hand. "It's no good to be so serious with them all the time. You have to strengthen bonds by being affectionate."

Bull nudged his hand.

"Oh, what the hell." He dropped onto the ground and smiled cheerfully. "Go easy on me."

They lunged for their master, each of them determined to be the first to get a good ear scratch and belly rub. When poor Shiba and Ūhei were thrown out for the third time, Sakura called them both, grinning when they darted to her and immediately sought out her hands, annoying Pakkun in the process.

"What the-" She glanced up at the blond, who quickly joined in. "Look how big Bull's got! Man… How long's it been since you last summoned them, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto demanded. "It feels like it's been forever since we last saw them."

Akino and Bisuke approached him after a moment of thinking about it, sniffing his hands. They regretted it a moment later, hacking at the smell of them.

"Don't you ever wash your hands?" Sakura wasn't sure which one yelled at him, as she was too busy.

So that they weren't all on the blistering hot sand without warning, Kakashi had summoned his ninken in the bunker after being informed of the situation. It had been without hesitation, though he did ask that there be extra water for his pack. They may be ninken, but they were still animals, he'd told them. They still felt all the same things as normal dogs.

"What's all this about, anyway?" Naruto questioned.

"It's true that I haven't summoned any of you in a while," Kakashi stated, looking vaguely apologetic. "But that's because I haven't had any missions that required me to track anyone."

Pakkun huffed and walked away from Sakura, clearly done with her fuss and Shiba took full advantage of her free hand. "We can do more than just track someone, Kakashi."

He nodded. "I know. You're all very capable of bringing an enemy down, or keeping them detained for me." Sitting up, he regarded them all seriously and at the change in his demeanour, all dogs returned to him, waiting patiently for their orders. "Right now, we have an issue with rogue-nin."

They didn't move a muscle, watching Kakashi with the same seriousness they could see in his eyes and it amazed Sakura. One moment they were like puppies with the way they were all over them, demanding the most fuss and then the next, they showed their true colours. They were not dogs to play with, they were ninken – Kakashi's ninken pack, no less. They were capable of tearing even the strongest of men to shreds.

"Eh?" Naruto frowned. "I haven't noticed anyone."

"That's because they haven't shown what they're after just yet. Minato-sensei stated that they could simply be passing through."

Pakkun's eyes slid to the side, watching the blond. "But you can't take that risk."

"No."

Naruto's frown deepened at the meaning and he grew serious. "You think they're after the Kyuubi?"

"It's a possibility," Sakura told him quietly.

Annoyance flitted over his features as he scowled, patting his stomach. "Well they're not getting him," he vowed. "Because of training, I've had more contact with the Kyuubi in the past week than I have in years. I'm not ready to lose him when there's more to learn."

Was he…

Sakura's blood ran cold.

Was Naruto trying to become friends with the Kyuubi?

Before she could demand to know what the hell was going through his head, Kakashi spoke up, effectively cutting her off. "Whatever the case, we have to be prepared for anything. There's been several attempts to take the Kyuubi already."

Each of the dogs glanced over at Naruto, clearly unsure about guarding the Kyuubi, but still determined on following their orders.

Pakkun sniffed the air, something about what he could smell making him tense. "He's not the only one around here."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, he's not. The Ichibi's jinchūriki, Gaara-kun, is outside right now. He will be another that we are fighting to protect."

In an instant, the pug was glaring up at his master, his teeth bared. "Don't you remember what that guy did to your pups, Kakashi? He almost slaughtered them all."

"He's not like that anymore," Naruto told them sternly, coming to his new friend's defence. "Everybody has the chance to change and Gaara's done just that."

"Oi, Kakashi…" The hair on Pakkun's body was bristled, showing how uncomfortable he was with the situation. The others were no different. "We won't be of any use if it involves them."

"I'm not saying you have to stand by their side every minute of every day." His words seemed to relax the ninken, who immediately settled in response. "What I'm ordering you to do is to accompany whoever is on the perimeter runs. Should something happen, you are to return to this bunker to warn the rest of the group."

Pakkun once more looked over in Naruto's direction, his eyes settling on the boy's stomach. "As long as you don't expect us to go up against either of those things…"

The jonin sighed dejectedly. "Do you really think I would ask that of you?"

Bull huffed, seemingly amused.

"You've asked us to do some pretty questionable things over the years," Pakkun stated what the rest of the ninken were thinking.

"Such low opinions." Kakashi dropped his head low, seemingly wounded. Then, he looked back up at them all, regarding his pack. "Do you all understand, then?"

They each agreed in their own individual ways.

"Good. Tenzo, Kankuro and Shikamaru will be heading out in a short while to get more rations and I want two of you to go with them. Guruko, Akino, you're both the fastest of the pack, so I expect you to be the ones who will go." They nodded. "Pakkun, you'll be staying by my side at all times. The rest of you will take turns of going out on perimeter runs and once Guruko and Akino return, they'll be added to the rotation."

Sakura looked out over the dogs. "How are you all feeling? Can you handle the heat?"

Pakkun scoffed. "Of course we can. We're not ordinary dogs."

Regardless of that fact, Kakashi still stated, "There will be fresh water at all times for you and if I even get the slightest inclination that the heat is too much for you, I will dismiss you."

He was so protective of them, Sakura realised with a smile.

They could have sent clones out to warn the others, but there was every chance that the clones wouldn't make it for several reasons. It would be much simpler to send an animal that was fast and unable to be caught.

She wondered why Pakkun would be staying with Kakashi, however. Was it because he was the leader of the ninken? Surely it wasn't favouritism? No, Sakura doubted it was. Maybe Pakkun could communicate with the others and could then relay messages to Kakashi?

"I want to check your paws every night, too," Sakura suddenly ordered. "The sand outside might blister the pads of your paws. If you're ever in pain, tell me. I might not be a vet, but I'm still a medic. At the very least, I can ease your pain."

Pakkun returned to her side for another ear scratch. "She's always been my favourite out of your students, Kakashi."

Naruto pouted. "Oi, what about me?"

"You're just a brat," Pakkun muttered and fell onto his back, legs stretched out as Sakura began to give him a belly rub. "Sakura here always tends to our needs."

She smirked.

"Make sure you don't spoil them, Sakura," Kakashi told her seriously.

"Promise!" Even so, she winked at Pakkun and the pug snickered.

* * *

Kankuro, along with Tenzo and Shikamaru, set out not long after with Akino and Guruko by their sides, wanting to get more rations before it got dark. As well as that, after Itachi had been informed of the latest developments, he'd asked to do the first perimeter run, taking two of Suna's ANBU with him, along with Bull and Shiba.

Before he set off, Sakura had wondered if Bull's size would slow them down, but he proved to be just as fast as the others, immediately taking the lead and sniffing out the area, making sure it was safe for his makeshift team.

"Been a while since I've seen that pup," Pakkun commented.

Sakura stared down at him with wide eyes. "You know Itachi?"

"Of course," he huffed. "He's been on many missions with Kakashi, some of which they needed my assistance."

That was right! Itachi's first ever ANBU squad was Team Ro, a squad that was led by Kakashi with…

_Oh!_

That was how they knew Tenzo. Jeez, why had she forgotten that piece of information? Tenzo had been a member of Kakashi's team according to the other Itachi's memories. Were they the people he'd been talking about when they'd been at the tattoo parlour, when she'd been receiving her ANBU tattoo? It wouldn't surprise her, as Kakashi always looked out for his teammates and from what little time she'd spent with the guy, Tenzo seemed like a good person. He highly respected Kakashi, it was obvious in the way he spoke with him, so maybe he'd taken after his former captain? Maybe he followed his beliefs?

The other two Suna-nin stayed close to Gaara, obviously prepared for an attack at any moment and the rest of them were just as tense, especially now that they'd split up into three groups.

Itachi and the others could no longer be seen as they disappeared into the forest, whereas Kankuro's group had gone straight for Suna. They'd be gone for at least a day and a half if there were no sandstorms. It left her feeling a little vulnerable, if Sakura was being honest. Now would be the best time for the rogue-nin to attack. Folding her arms over her chest, she tapped a rhythm against her bicep with her finger. It was a habit that showed her anxiousness, but she had yet to break it.

Like how ANBU were staying close to Gaara, both Sasuke and Shisui stayed with Naruto.

Temari sighed. "This is getting old."

"Hm?"

The blonde looked down at her, the height difference stunning Sakura for a moment, as she'd never noticed it before. Then again, Temari was older than her by a couple of years. It was obvious in the way she held herself, acted and spoke.

"I'm tired of Gaara being targeted for something he can't help," she admitted quietly.

Yes, so was she. How many attempts had there been on Naruto's life now? Too many. "We just have to do our best to protect them, right?" She tried to smile, but it was pointless. The tension in the air was too much. "Make them see that they'll have to go through us first."

There was a pause before Temari smirked and looked out at the two jinchūriki. "Back in the chunin exams, I thought you were a useless brat." Sakura deadpanned. "Your improvement is something to admire, though."

It eased the blow to her pride slightly. "Really?"

"You're here, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt your Hokage would send someone like the girl you used to be out here. As captain, no less."

She supposed she couldn't argue with that. Back then, Sakura knew for a fact that she'd been an unreliable, whiny brat. Not just that, but she'd been superficial and obsessed with Sasuke, too. Since then, she'd grown out of her crush for him and Ino's death had taught her that there were more important things in life. She was stronger.

Glancing out at the forest, Sakura brushed her hair back when the wind blew it forward, obscuring her view. Other than the sounds of Gaara and Naruto fighting, it was quiet. She wondered how far the others had gone into the forest, because she could no longer sense them. Then again, she was no sensory type.

"You know, you shouldn't be too worried about Sasuke and Naruto," Temari surprised her by starting another conversation. When she looked back, the blonde was staring down at her. "Not long after our last run in with you, Gaara left our team to try and establish more connections – to try and understand what it is that bonds you all so closely."

The news stunned her. "So… You're no longer a team?"

She shook her head. "We still go on missions together occasionally, but Gaara has a new team now. The only reason why Kankuro and I are here is because of our father's orders. If Gaara is going to be out in the desert for a prolonged period of time, he wants us here to keep an eye on him. Not only that, but our father knows that we'd die for our younger brother."

"And the same can't be said for his new team," Sakura murmured and glanced at the redhead, who was now up in the air with sand coming up around him. "Naruto was right, then. Gaara-kun really is trying to change."

The blonde sighed. "Not a lot of people want to believe it – hell, at first, I thought it was some kind of sick joke to make us all lower our guards. What can I say, though?" Much to Sakura's astonishment, a tender look filled her teal eyes as she watched him. "He's my baby brother. No matter what he is I will always stand by his side."

Sakura understood that feeling well. She would do the same for Naruto, too.

Temari suddenly scoffed and shook her head. "I've gone soft."

"No, you haven't." She couldn't help but chuckle. "Tsunade-shishou has always said that a woman becomes stronger when she has bonds that need protecting. Us women have to be strong and stick together in order to survive."

"Your shishou sounds like a smart woman."

She smiled, her expression softening. "She is."

The bonding session ended abruptly at the sound of fierce barking coming from the forest and Sakura spun around, eyes going wide as Shiba came darting out of the trees.

He was covered in blood.

In an instant, Kakashi and Pakkun were on him, checking him over and demanding answers. Poor Shiba was panting for breath, but still relayed what had happened to them. Fortunately, none of the blood was his own. Apparently Bull had made sure of that as he created an opening for Shiba to get out.

"I see," Kakashi muttered, his eye darkening.

"Shisui, take Temari-san and the rest of the dogs and go after the other group," ordered Sakura suddenly, surprising even herself as she channelled her inner-Tsunade. She didn't allow her fear to show, instead turning to face her own team. "Everyone else will protect Naruto and Gaara-kun."

They nodded, not hesitating for even a second as they set out into the forest at high speed, rushing to the battle. Sakura's eyes narrowed and she glanced over her shoulder at Gaara, nodding once. He responded by summoning his sand, sealing himself and Naruto away inside of it, despite the latter protesting and trying to break out.

"They shouldn't be able to get through this," Sasuke stated, his hand coming up to the ball of sand. "It's much stronger than it was in the exams."

Good.

Her eyes moved over to the forest, still narrowed and still fierce. They could still hear the manic barking and the fighting. It seemed the team had been heading back when they were attacked, which was what Shiba had done his best to tell them.

"Pakkun."

Kakashi's unspoken order reached him and the pug nodded, hopping onto his master's shoulder. "Bull is fine," he informed him. "I can still sense him."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kakashi sighed in relief. "I'm glad."

"He's injured," Pakkun went on to say. "But the others are there now."

Could he seriously communicate with the other ninken? There was no time to ask such questions, so Sakura stored it away for later.

ANBU were inside the dome of sand with Gaara and Naruto, just in case somebody managed to get through and that way, they had the element of surprise, too. They would attack the second the rogue-nin broke through. On the outside was herself, Sasuke, Kakashi and Pakkun.

"It seems they waited until we were separated." Sasuke's hand fell to his katana.

Just what they'd been expecting, drawing them out with their show of vulnerability.

"Some of them have managed to get through," Pakkun snarled, his hackles raising. "Shiba and Bisuke are injured."

Sasuke fell into a fighting stance, but just as he was about to head out, she murmured, "Leave the others to me."

"Wait, Sakura-"

Before he could stop her, she disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

There was a considerable amount of them, she realised from her perch high up in the trees, though only one of them had reached the edge of the forest already.

They were watching Kakashi and Sasuke, trying to decide on what to do about the large sphere of sand and what was possibly inside of it. So far, they were guessing it to be somebody important, though had yet to mention who their intended target was. Surprisingly, they were right on the edge of the forest, not too far from where she'd previously been standing with Temari. Fortunately for her, they hadn't arrived until after she'd hidden herself in the trees.

They couldn't be that intelligent since they didn't know she was standing right beside them, hidden in the bushes.

Were the rogue-nin working for someone? It would explain why there was such a large group of them, since usually, they chose to remain by themselves or, at most, with one other person. Any more and it was too risky.

That meant they would have to spare one of them for interrogation.

The one standing mere inches from her shifted and leaned forward, squinting her hazel eyes on the sand.

"The jinchūriki should be inside there," she murmured lowly. An earpiece, maybe? "We'll need a powerful attack to drill through it, though. That should be the Ichibi jinchūriki's absolute defence."

What a pity. It seemed they would have to be taken out, after all.

"Oh?" Sakura emerged from the bushes and tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

The woman turned her head, her eyes widening in horror, but just as she caught sight of Sakura, the latter smirked and threw her arm out, knocking the woman from her hiding place and out into the opening with the back of her hand, startling the other members of Team Seven.

She followed closely, standing over her intimidatingly. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to take either of them."

The woman tried to get up, but Sakura stopped her, placing her foot on her chest and forcing her back down.

"Don't even try it," she warned. Then, she looked over to the others, who were watching in stunned silence. "Sasuke-kun, come and restrain her." Her eyes moved back to the forest, narrowing. "The others will attack any minute now that they've been found out."

Without questioning her, Sasuke nodded and appeared by her side, taking mere moments to tie her up. He looked back to her. "What do you want me to do?"

Sakura turned to face the trees. "Make sure they don't get her back. Shisui can extract information from her later on."

In an instant, several rogue-nin were bursting out from the trees.

"Like we'll let that happen," one of the males growled.

Just as he reached for the woman and Sasuke, Sakura caught him with her arms around his middle, launching him back at the forest and straight into the tree, stunning him. During the distraction, she kicked out, breaking another's leg. One managed to sneak up on her, knocking her backwards, but her hand touched down onto the sand, catching herself before Sakura pushed upwards, flipping her body until she was standing upright once more.

"Try harder than that," she snarled.

She met him head on when he charged for her again, whipping out her katana and blocking his from slicing through her chest.

After dropping the woman at Kakashi's feet, Sasuke came down on him from above, his own katana clutched tightly and a harsh growl leaving him as he brought it down on the rogue-nin, cutting off his hand.

He fell into place beside her, looking Sakura over for a moment with his intimidating Sharingan before staring ahead of himself, watching how the rogue-nin stumbled backwards, crying out in agony.

"You said they let you get involved more."

She nodded, strengthening her stance.

"Show me what you're capable of."

Not needing him to say anymore, Sakura shot off, dropping her katana and drawing back her fist. Right at the last moment, however, she appeared behind the handless rogue-nin and her fist slammed its way through his chest. She didn't waste time focusing on the damage and leapt straight over to the first one who had tried to attack her, who was now back on his feet.

He was a burly man, absolutely towering over her and making her seem tiny in comparison. Sakura narrowed her eyes and dodged his flying fists, allowing him to drive her backwards and believe he was forcing her to lose ground.

All she really wanted was her katana.

The second it was within reach, she used her speed to grab it and whirl around, ducking under another punch and ramming it upwards and into his chest, slicing through his heart.

The rogue-nin with the broken leg fought on, trying to get closer to the woman, but Sakura stopped the movement by lifting him, her other fist punching him up into the sky.

"I'm not done yet!"

She leapt into the air after him and swung her fist forward, knocking the rogue-nin down and the fall to the ground shattered the bones in his body.

While still in the air, she grabbed the shuriken out of her pouch, throwing as many as she possibly could to bring the rest of them closer together and the second she had them in her circle, Sakura made a single seal and muttered, "Katsu!"

The explosion caused the sand to shower around them, making it difficult to see.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed rogue-nin closing in on Kakashi.

She summoned a clone, using it to launch her over to the sand sphere and after stopping herself on it, she fell into place beside him.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

He nodded once and in the same moment as hers did, his hands slammed to the ground and around the sand, stone walls came up, trapping the two jinchūriki inside. It would be more difficult to break through now.

"If you want him, you'll have to kill me first," snarled Sakura.

"That…" The rogue-nin wiped the blood from his mouth. "That can be arranged."

There were no weaknesses in her stone walls, leaving no spots for the rogue-nin to take advantage of and with her huge reserves, it would take a while for them to break through, especially with Kakashi's help. Unless… Her eyes narrowed a fraction. Unless Naruto and Gaara grew restless and wanted part of the action. They would be able to knock it down in seconds, should they have access to their full potential. She had a feeling Gaara _did_.

Just as the guy made a move towards her, Sakura was stunned to hear vicious growls filling the air, followed shortly by several footsteps.

In an instant, four dogs attached themselves to the attacker, tearing into him without remorse. The last and certainly the biggest came at him with a vengeance and Sakura almost felt sorry for the guy as Bull lunged, knocking them all to the ground before getting stuck in on the guy's face.

Kakashi stood up straight, twirling a kunai around his index finger. "Everyone should know that dogs are protective of their pack." His hand came down on her shoulder. "No matter what, Sakura is a member of Team Seven, meaning she is a part of their pack."

And then without warning, he was launching the kunai across the desert, not even needing to look to see it impale somebody through the skull. They'd been using the dogs as a distraction to get closer to the sphere of sand.

The others were out of breath and bloody when they returned, following the dogs and at the sight around them, they immediately put two and two together.

"The others are still hiding," Sasuke muttered, his eyes never leaving the forest. "They don't know whether to retreat or not."

"Like we'll let that happen," Temari growled and suddenly grabbed her fan, opening it to two stars and swinging it through the air.

The result of the harsh wind was amazing, Sakura thought. It was like the trees were nothing but twigs as they instantly gave into the assault, slicing in half and falling backwards.

More rogue-nin were revealed.

"Now, Sakura!" the blonde ordered.

"_Oi!"_

Her voice was more like an angered, feral growl and before the rogue-nin even realised what was coming, she appeared in front of him and her fist was slamming into his face, sending him flying through the air. She was right behind him, appearing above him in the sky and bringing both her hands together until they were coming down on him.

But then something happened that had her turning to face the stone walls with wide, horrified eyes.

"Idiot," Sasuke yelled.

Naruto burst through it with ease, using his Rasengan to do so.

"Subdue him," Shisui ordered.

Without hesitation, Itachi came down on him, pinning Naruto to the ground and keeping him there. "Do as you're told," he muttered.

Pain exploded in her side, making Sakura cry out in agony as blood splattered across the sand. She fell to the ground, staggering backwards with a hand pressing tightly to her wound.

"Sakura-chan, you-"

"Stay down," Itachi ordered. "Sakura does not need help."

"But-"

Gaara emerged from what was left of the sand dome and stone walls, sighing. "I didn't expect his determination to give him more strength."

That was because Naruto was an unpredictable idiot who couldn't follow orders.

Grunting, she fell back another step, eyeing the rogue-nin warily. She hadn't planned on there being so many. But…

Sakura suddenly came to a halt, offering them all a single smirk.

_That wasn't a problem for her._

Startled screams sounded as several clones appeared from underground, fists clenched tightly and slamming into their enemies.

Sand erupted around them, closing around the remainder of the rogue-nin.

"This is taking too long," Gaara muttered darkly and he clenched his fist tightly.

All screams instantly cut off.

Panting, Sakura turned to face the rest of the group, giggling to herself when Itachi finally allowed Naruto to stand. The blond was yelling at him, demanding to know what the hell his problem was, but Itachi was more focused on her.

"Heal yourself, Sakura," he ordered quietly. "You are losing too much blood."

She rolled her eyes. Obviously she was getting around to it. Jeez, the battle had only just ended.

Pressing a green glowing hand to her side, Sakura breathed deeply and shut her eyes, only to open them a moment later. "Piece of… cake."

Sasuke stepped closer to her. "Sakura?"

Her head was swimming and she cursed herself for using so much chakra. He'd warned her not too long ago about her fainting episodes from overusing her chakra, especially while storing most of it away. It couldn't be helped, even if it was embarrassing that it was happening in front of so many people.

Green eyes rolled and her body went limp, knees giving out on her.

Before she crashed face first into the ground, however, Sakura felt grains of sand wrapping around her, supporting her, holding her upright and then, she vaguely realised that it tilted her backwards, laying her down.

And that was when she lost consciousness.

* * *

The rain pelted down on him in a way that was refreshing.

Tilting his head back, he gazed up at the darkening sky, a light sigh leaving him.

Things were becoming more unstable. When he first discovered what he had to do, Itachi had accepted it, however, he had been naïve to believe it was as simple as saving people from their fates. If something was supposed to happen, it eventually would. That must have been why the Uchiha Fugaku of this timeline had the Mangekyō, even though Itachi had saved the friend who was supposed to die in the war. While his own father hadn't massively agreed with using his Sharingan against the village, after constant nagging from the clan, he'd accepted it. He'd been willing to do their bidding.

_It must be prevented._

How were things between the clan and the village in this timeline? Due to hardly ever sticking around, Itachi did not know those answers. He knew it wasn't perfect and he knew they were still looked at with annoyance, merely because of the police force. Was that an issue?

_It couldn't be risked._

Another sigh left his lips. It was times such as these that he missed his Sakura. Her presence had soothed him greatly, though he never told her such things.

At first she'd been terrified of him. After the doctors told Itachi that he didn't have long left to live, he'd tracked her down while she was on a mission and separated her from her team. It had been uncomfortably easy to do. Since she was the apprentice of Tsunade and a capable medic-nin, Itachi had ordered her to examine him. Too afraid of what may happen if she didn't, she had gone about examining him, but that feisty nature made itself known when she realised what was up with him. Sakura had scoffed, saying it must have been karma for all the unforgivable things he'd done. Itachi hadn't disagreed, which had shocked her.

However, she must have known what Sasuke's revenge meant for him. It would have destroyed him if he never got the chance to take out his older brother. So… She forcibly prolonged his life. Her loyalty to his brother was something that had irritated him.

They would meet every so often, in an inn that was just barely holding together, with creaky floorboards and rotting, mouldy walls. It would have a horrible effect on his health, she'd told him.

How things changed between them.

Itachi smiled up at the rain.

That girl was stubborn. She was feisty and she loved his foolish younger brother dearly, but it seemed she definitely had a medic's heart. Whenever he was in pain, Sakura would comfort him by either holding his hand and tenderly brushing the hair off his sweaty face, or she would hold him close, allowing him lean on her.

They never said anything about the change, but they were both aware of it. Slowly, Itachi began to see less hatred in her eyes and more curiosity. Instead of glares, he received worried glances, or (more further down the line) even tender expressions. They rarely ever spoke in the beginning, simply going about what needed to be done, but as time went on, she asked questions.

Some of those questions he refused to answer, as it would reveal his mission and jeopardise the trust for the village. There was no telling if Sakura would be able to keep such secrets to herself, so he kept them from her. However, he answered all other questions.

_What was the clan like? What was Sasuke-kun like as a baby? Did you really start the Academy at the age of four? What were your parents like? Were you happy as a child? Did you have any friends? What was the village like back then, when Yondaime-sama was Hokage?_

Some were more difficult to answer than others.

Glancing over his shoulder, he paused, watching the district, before going back to gazing at the night sky.

Eventually, his feelings for Sakura deepened. Itachi had done his best to ignore them, for she was in love with his younger brother and he didn't plan on sticking around. It would be unfair to her if anything happened, for him to end up leaving her. But then during their next meeting, Sakura was a mess of emotions.

It turned out that they'd come across his younger brother, just herself and Sai. The replacement for his brother hadn't been able to hold her back and she'd ran after him, begging him to come back and willing to try and stop him herself. However, it seemed that out of everyone, there was one person Sasuke could never hurt and that was Sakura. He could tear her heart out of her chest with his words, but he refused to lay a single hand on her.

It was another reason to ignore his own feelings.

His words had affected her deeply, though and she'd been near silent throughout the healing session until right at the end, when she demanded to know why Itachi would torture his brother, twisting his mind in such a horrific way.

_"We've lost Sasuke-kun because of you!"_

Still, the hatred did not return. Sakura's heart was broken for the umpteenth time and she was looking for somebody to take her anger out on. Itachi had let her. He let her yell and cry and beat him with her tiny fists (without chakra, of course). Finally, when she broke down, she collapsed against him, her fingers tangled in his shirt and her face pressed tightly to his chest.

It was the first time in a long time that anyone had sought comfort from him.

It was the first time in a long time that he was experiencing human contact that wasn't in battle.

Itachi hadn't been able to stop himself from holding her, admiring the softness of her pastel pink hair and the vulnerable look in her shining green eyes when Sakura glanced up at him from beneath her lashes.

They never put a label on what they were to each other, but Itachi found himself falling more and more in love with her every time he saw Sakura. Slowly but surely, she opened up to him about her own life, but continuously told him that she was boring, to which he argued that it was a life many wished they could live. What he wouldn't give to be able to return to a warm house, greeted by his parents and all but tackled by his loving younger brother the second he walked through the door. What he wouldn't give to be able to hold them just one last time.

Like Itachi had told the other Sakura, there was nothing sexual going on between them, however, his Sakura had been the one to kiss him. It had surprised him greatly to say the least, as he hadn't been too sure on what her feelings were regarding him.

That single kiss answered every single question that was in his mind and silenced those that didn't need to be answered.

They grew comfortable in one another's presence. They shared meals and conversed and even joked around a little here and there. The risks she was taking by leaving the village every so often to heal him were greatly appreciated, though Itachi had to admit that it became more than just healing sessions. They would both linger at the inn, neither wanting to actually leave their safe haven.

It all ended abruptly on the night that he sensed her fading chakra, on the night when her worst fear had come to life. They were supposed to meet the next night, which was why he'd been so close in the first place.

_"I think my greatest fear is dying alone on a mission. I can't imagine what it would be like, you know? I've always hated being alone, so to think that in my final moments, I'd be scared and alone…"_

Itachi shut his eyes.

How he wished he could erase such a stomach twisting memory.

It was like losing everything all over again and it left him wandering through the nations, had him waiting impatiently for his brother to hurry up and kill him already.

Oh, Itachi hadn't waited too long. The second news broke out of Sakura's death and how it was himself who returned her body to the village, Sasuke had come at him with a vengeance. Itachi didn't correct him when he yelled accusations at him, screaming that he'd taken another precious person from him. Instead, he played on those emotions, desperate to be relieved of his agony.

It was the first time in years that Sasuke had allowed himself to be vulnerable.

Apparently he didn't despise Sakura like he'd led her to believe he did.

Turning, Itachi dropped silently onto the veranda and made his way into the house, easily disarming the genjutsu and traps that were set to catch intruders such as himself.

The house looked nothing like the way his own had and it made what he was about to do so much easier.

When he entered the master bedroom, he glanced down at the slumbering couple who were blissfully unaware of his presence in their home. It pained him.

"Forgive me." Itachi shut his eyes and gripped a tighter hold of the kunai. "…Father."


	26. Taking Responsibility

**Chapter 26**

**Taking Responsibility**

* * *

When she awoke, Sakura wasn't surprised to find herself back in the bunker. She was in the bed she'd been sharing with Itachi, but the Uchiha was nowhere to be seen. That didn't mean she was alone, however.

Temari stood from the table when she sat up and Sakura rolled her eyes when a somewhat damp cloth dropped to her lap. Wisely, they'd kept the covers off her, since they were thick enough to fight off the drop in temperature at night. The cloth, however, was warm and couldn't even be classed as damp anymore, telling her that it was still daytime. Then again, the heat alone should have told her that, as well as the layer of sweat sticking to her.

"You freaked a lot of people out, you know."

A sigh left her lips. "I should've listened to Sasuke-kun. He tried warning me." She shook her head, but then her eyes widened. "Wait, Kakashi's ninken! Are they okay? Pakkun said they were injured."

Just as she tried to get out of bed, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and her hand came to her head, eyes squeezing shut. Temari tsked and forced her back into the bed.

"I'm no medic, but even I can see that you're in no state to be rushing around right now."

"Are they okay?" Sakura demanded, sounding stronger than she looked and felt.

"Minor injuries," she told her. "Kakashi believes they were startled by the injuries, since it's rare for them to be hurt."

That was why Pakkun made such a fuss, why he looked so angry. From what she'd seen of the pack in action, they were vicious, fierce and definitely not to be underestimated. Even Pakkun could tear chunks out of a person, despite the fact he was a tiny thing that you could carry around in a bag. The thought amused her.

"Everyone else is fine, too," Temari added, almost like an afterthought.

"Tenzo-san's team…?"

"Yet to return."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "How long have I been out for?"

"A day."

Oh, that wasn't too worrying, then. It was supposed to take a day and a half to get there and back and that was if they were pushing themselves.

Kneeling beside her bed, Temari sighed. "Sakura, I need to ask you something."

Unsurely, Sakura nodded and frowned. "Is something wrong, Temari-san?"

"I'm no good at this kind of thing," she admitted quietly. "Girl talk… It's never been my thing."

Oh.

Oh!

More than anything, she wanted to sit up to seem more engaged in the conversation, but the look Temari settled her with forced Sakura to stay down. That didn't mean she wasn't eager to talk, however. She missed having girl talks.

"That girl…"

She immediately clicked on. "Ino."

"Ino." Temari nodded in thanks. "Tell me… Was she more than just a friend?"

Again, Sakura didn't need her to finish the sentence fully and she smiled softly at the hidden worry in the blonde's eyes. It seemed even women like Temari could be insecure and self-conscious at times. Possibly even lacking in confidence, too, even though it seemed like a preposterous thought.

"I can't answer for Shikamaru." Sakura gave Temari a knowing look before growing serious. "Ino, however… She was already in love with another when she died. So the answer is no, in her case. As for Shikamaru, I'm not too sure. Ino always said that their clans were close, so they had no other choice but to bond."

Over the years, after being thrown into a team together, it became less forced and they genuinely got on with one another, even though it didn't always seem that way. Ino had loved her boys dearly and she proved that to them all by sacrificing herself for them.

"He seems really caught up on her death," Temari stated. "I can't help but wonder…"

"I know," Sakura whispered, trying to smile, but it came out as more of a twitch of her lips. "I think it was more… the way she died, though." Right in front of them, with her blood soaking their clothing and staining their hands and faces. Her body motionless and broken, laying at their feet and her blonde hair covering her lifeless eyes. "It haunts him," she told Temari. "Ino died in front of his eyes on a mission he was the captain of."

"I know." Temari sighed and looked down at her hands. "I never realised how badly until you arrived, though. Whenever I'm in Konoha, we never see you, so I guess he never felt as bad. But seeing the way he looked at you after you mentioned her name…"

Sakura's eyes went back to the top bunk. "…I know." Trying to lighten the tension, she forced a smile. "So you and Shikamaru, huh?"

Much to her surprise, a faint blush swept over Temari's cheeks and the blonde couldn't meet her eyes. "…Kind of."

Her smile became less forced and softer. "Ino would have approved. Shikamaru needs someone to whip him into shape every now and then, after all."

Temari gazed at her, her own expression softening since she clearly understood how big of a deal it was. "Thank you, Sakura." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she sighed. "By the way, the woman you captured for information is dead."

"What?" she demanded, eyes widening.

"Somehow she managed to loosen her bindings – hasn't anyone ever told you Konoha-nin that you need to break their fingers to prevent that from happening?" Sakura gritted her teeth. "Anyway, she loosened her bindings and lunged for Gaara with some kind of sealing jutsu. I'm sure I don't need to fill in the rest?"

She shook her head, cursing herself.

That had been their only lead.

* * *

It was later on in the day that Sakura finally managed to get out of bed and her movements were less forced and more graceful as she sat down at the table. They were still awaiting the return of the others, but nobody seemed overly concerned since they'd gone in the opposite direction of the rogue-nin.

Kakashi's ninken pack had swarmed her once they realised she was awake, making Sakura laugh when Bull fought his way onto the bed.

She was reminded of the way each of them tore into one of the rogue-nin without hesitation. She remembered how they hadn't thought twice about taking chunks out of him. So seeing them acting so friendly towards her, with their tails wagging and the happiness in their eyes when they saw for themselves that she was okay, stunned her.

"Another scroll?" Sakura asked as she sat down at the table.

Already sitting there was Kakashi and Temari, along with six of the ninken pack. They were each eating something, with Kakashi handing the dogs bits of food to keep them quiet.

"It arrived this morning," he told her. "Sai wouldn't say much about it, though."

Unlike the previous scroll, this particular one had a special seal on it, meaning only she could open it with the use of her chakra. Sakura frowned and picked it up. It had to be important, then. She spent little time opening it.

The contents made her stomach twist sharply.

"Oh my God…"

All the colour drained from her features as Sakura read the scroll over and over, trying to find out if it was a mistake, but it wasn't.

Uchiha Fugaku was…

She swallowed hard and stood, making her way out of the bunker where she had been seated with Kakashi, Temari and the dogs. They gave her strange glances, wondering what had happened to gain such a reaction, but they must have realised how serious it was. They must have noticed the shaking in her limbs. They didn't stop her from leaving the bunker, each realising that she had to deliver bad news to somebody.

The heat bore down on her relentlessly and she raised a trembling hand, shielding her wide, horrified eyes from the harsh sun. It was the first time going outside since she'd fainted after yesterday's battle. All she could see momentarily was the brightness of the sun, the cloudless sky and the sand. It felt like it stretched on forever.

Then she caught sight of the brothers.

Sakura was used to giving bad news in the hospital, as horrible as that probably sounded. How could anyone get used to giving bad news? However, this…

They caught sight of her watching them and frowned in her direction, but all she could do was gesture for them to come to her. She honestly didn't think she had the strength to move too far.

How was she supposed to tell them that…?

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked up at Itachi as he reached her first, but then her eyes moved to Sasuke and she felt her throat closing up. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that she was one giving them such news.

"Sakura," Sasuke snapped, even when his brother sent him a warning glare. "What's happening?"

"Your dad…"

"What about him?" the younger Uchiha demanded, eyes widening and for the first time in a long time, Sakura saw pure fear taking over. She hadn't seen him truly fear anything since they went up against Zabuza the first time. "Sakura, is he…?"

Sensing her difficulty, Itachi held out his hand and she all but shoved the scroll into it, almost grateful that he was taking charge.

_She couldn't…_

His breath left him and she noticed his hands shake faintly.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi looked down at his younger brother and she could _see_ how badly he wanted to shield Sasuke from such news. "Somebody managed to infiltrate the district during the night." All colour drained from Sasuke's already pale features. "They have taken Father's eyes."

And Sakura knew exactly who that someone was.

_How could he…?_

"W-What?" He shook his head. "We need to go back. Father will need us!"

"We have been ordered to stay here," Itachi stated seriously. "Father does not want us to return home from our mission until it is complete."

"But he needs us-"

"Mother is with him."

"Itachi-"

"Do not disobey me, Sasuke." His voice was cold. "The last thing Father needs right now is for you to disobey direct orders not only from himself, but also Hokage-sama."

Sakura stepped closer, pressing a hand to Sasuke's arm. "With the way Naruto's progressing, I doubt we'll be here-"

He shrugged out of her hold. "Don't try acting high and mighty," he snarled at her. "This isn't the chance for you to make up for abandoning our team."

Her hand dropped uselessly between them, her expression showing her hurt. "I-I'm not. Sasuke-kun, I-"

"Save it." Sasuke was backing away, his upper lip curling. "Stop trying to wriggle your way back in. You left us, so leave it that way!"

Just as he spun around, intent on darting towards the trees, he ran straight into a figure. Neither of them had seen him move. "I will not warn you again, Sasuke," Itachi murmured. "Father does not want either of us there to see him at his weakest."

But Sasuke's hands came up, shoving his older brother backwards. "Get out of my way!" Itachi stood strong, refusing to budge more than a few inches. "I'm going to him."

They were attracting attention, Sakura noticed as everyone else came to a stop, trying to figure out what was happening.

He caught Sasuke's punch with ease before forcibly turning his brother around, twisting his arm in a painful restraining hold. If Sasuke even tried to move, his arm would snap in half. "We have been here several times before, Sasuke," Itachi muttered lowly. "I understand that you feel the need to see Father, but you must respect his wishes and orders."

Uchiha Fugaku was an incredibly proud man who wouldn't want his sons to see him in such a vulnerable state. He was bound to be in an excruciating amount of pain, too. No parent would want their child to see them that way.

Itachi's eyes met hers when Sasuke continued to struggle and seeing his silent order, she sighed and stepped in front of him, her features sad.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun."

At the clenching of her fist, he narrowed his eyes, as did many others. "You wouldn't dare, Sakura." His voice was low, cold and harsh. It was condescending. "You've never been able to go against me."

Her fist shook in response to the hurt and anger.

"Things change."

And then she slammed it into his stomach, hard enough to render him unconscious.

As he slumped, she stepped closer, allowing his motionless body to fall against her. Her eyes met Itachi's again, saddening. The last thing he needed at that moment in time was a rebellious younger brother who couldn't follow a simple order. Itachi needed control. He needed to be in control.

"Want me to take him to the bunker?"

_Want me to give you some space?_

He nodded and released Sasuke, turning his back on them all as he walked in the direction of the forest. Sakura knew not to worry. Itachi just needed to clear his thoughts. She'd seen it many times since joining his team. So with a huff, she lowered herself and threw Sasuke over her shoulder, wrapping her arm around his thighs to keep him up there. She noticed Naruto charging forward, demanding answers, but Shisui held him back, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Shisui," she called out to him. "Please retrieve the scroll from Hokage-sama. It seems Itachi dropped it."

That in itself was odd, so he didn't hesitate to go look for it.

"My, my," Kakashi drawled, looking up from his book as Sakura walked into the bunker. "Was he misbehaving, Sakura-chan?"

Despite how serious things were, she cracked a small smirk. It was impossible not to. "I'm afraid so, sensei."

"You're going to end up fainting again." Temari shook her head in disbelief. "Are all Konoha-nin masochists?"

"Only the scary ones." Kakashi smiled cheerfully.

Ignoring them, Sakura threw Sasuke down onto Naruto's bed. Without the help of her chakra, she wouldn't be able to throw him onto his bed. It was too high up for her. Of course Kakashi could have helped out, but that would require effort on his behalf.

"Is this true?" Shisui demanded, the door to the bunker banging against the cement wall. He was shaking the scroll and his features were horrified. It shocked her, because he was usually so composed. "Sakura."

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah, it is."

There was a knowing look in his eyes and Sakura knew exactly what he was thinking.

She nodded once more.

He gritted his teeth.

"I take it that is why you had to get rough with Sasuke." Shisui glanced at the younger Uchiha before turning to her once more. "Go after Itachi, Sakura. I will be able to stop Sasuke should he wake up."

Finally, Kakashi lowered his book, frowning up at them and Temari was no different. Even the dogs were suspicious now.

"Go," Shisui ordered.

Not wasting another second, Sakura rushed out of the bunker, ignoring Naruto when he called after her. Thankfully, Gaara kept him busy by knocking him to the ground with his sand, causing him to jump to his feet, yelling at him angrily with a shaking fist.

It took a few minutes to find Itachi. He was deeper into the forest than she would have liked, going to a place that had her heart skipping a beat. It was beside the lake she and Shisui had found the other Itachi standing in front of. Instead of standing, Itachi was sitting down, his hands balled into fists and every muscle in his body seemed tense.

"Itachi?" she called quietly.

There was no response.

She walked around him, wanting to see his features. As expected, he was blank, refusing to show any emotion as he stared out at the lake.

"It's okay to be upset," her voice was soft, barely any louder than a whisper and when Sakura knelt in front of his seated position, Itachi finally met her eyes. "It's natural to be upset."

Something flashed across his face. "…They took his eyes."

Hesitantly, she raised a hand, offering a saddened expression as she cupped his cheek. "Your dad is receiving the best care right now from Tsunade-sama herself. She'll help him."

But Itachi shook his head and she could then describe what the look in his eyes was. He was lost. "He won't be the same."

"Don't say that, Itachi-"

"It is the truth." There was a seriousness to his tone now. "Without his eyes, Father will be weakened considerably. He will be of no use as a shinobi, let alone a clan patriarch."

Her stomach dropped. "They'll want you to step up."

"…Yes."

That meant they would no longer be on a team together. He would no longer be her captain. Hell, Itachi would have to retire from ANBU to take charge of the clan. Why? Why did it hurt to think that he wouldn't be there anymore? Was it because Itachi was the one who took care of her in ANBU? Was it because he had taken her under his wing, watching out for her, but at the same time, allowing her freedom to grow and take control of her own life and abilities? Was it because, since joining ANBU, he'd helped her with so many jutsu?

Sakura tried to smile. "Is it selfish of me to wish that… you'd stay as my captain?"

He sighed and shut his eyes, looking as though he had the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. "Not as selfish as my own wish to remain as your captain."

After only a moment of thinking about it, Sakura leaned up, brushing her lips to his in an innocent, chaste kiss.

His eyes opened languidly when she pulled away. "What was that for?"

"Because it took the heavy look in your eyes away." She offered him a small smile. "Because the moment was there." Her forehead pressed to his. "Take your pick."

"Thank you," he murmured.

Sakura smirked. "Just promise me you won't shout at me again."

Much to her happiness, Itachi chuckled and his hand came to her cheek, stroking it softly. "Should I have to retire from ANBU in order to take over the clan, I must insist that you promise me one thing."

"Don't say that." She tried to be optimistic, tried to lighten the mood. "You don't know if you'll have to do that yet!"

"Sakura."

Seeing the stern look in his eyes, she reluctantly nodded.

"Do not let ANBU change you as it has the rest of us," he spoke softly, quietly. "Please continue to shine brightly."

It was stupid, but she felt extremely emotional at his words. "Yes, Taichou."

He smiled sadly.

* * *

They returned after an hour of sitting beside the lake in a comfortable silence. There hadn't been any need for words and even if there were, Sakura wasn't sure she would be able to speak them. The thought of going on missions without Itachi was strangely unappealing. He was the reason why she was even a part of ANBU.

When they returned to the bunker, it was to angered yells and the sound of heavy objects being thrown around. Itachi entered first, blocking the table from hitting them.

Apparently Sasuke was awake and he wasn't pleased about being forced to stay.

"Sasuke." She couldn't help but flinch at Itachi's raised voice. The last time she'd heard it at such a level and with so much anger was back when he'd been shouting at her. "Control yourself."

"Like hell," he snarled, uncaring of the others watching him. "Minato…" Sasuke growled. "He was always suspicious of Father's eyes."

"Oi, I've already told you. Don't blame my dad!" Naruto replied, his voice low and serious. "He wouldn't do something like this."

"Just like he wouldn't put the Kyuubi into his own son-"

"Naruto would have died if he hadn't!"

Sakura covered her mouth and paled when Shisui looked to her in sheer disbelief. All she'd been thinking was stopping the argument before it escalated into a fight. After a day like theirs, the last thing they needed was another fight and their arguments always ended up there. However, it seemed like all anger evaporated out of the room at her exclamation and she knew in an instant that it was the wrong thing to say. They were all too shocked to say anything.

"…What?" Naruto asked quietly, stunned. "What do you mean I would've died, Sakura-chan?"

Even Kakashi was surprised. "That wasn't supposed to be common knowledge. How did you find out?"

No words would come to her.

Itachi glanced down at her. "Sakura?"

"I…" She looked between them all, trying to come up with an acceptable response and the first thing that came to mind, tumbled out of her mouth, "I saw his files." Sakura swallowed hard. "I've always been the one to give Team Seven their physicals and… I saw what it said."

Naruto's files were actually restricted to most members of staff at the hospital. Only Tsunade had full access to them. The rest of them only saw bits and pieces.

Her expression became apologetic. "I'm so sorry for not saying anything, Naruto," she told him as sincerely as possible. "It… There was a defect a-and you were really sick. I'm guessing the only way to save you was to seal half of the Kyuubi inside you, but that was never written into your medical file."

Kakashi sighed. "Only a handful of people were supposed to know. To think that it was in his medical file…"

"It's precautionary," Sakura lied with ease. "Just in case he ever gets sick again."

"That's why I'm a jinchūriki?" Naruto questioned quietly.

She nodded.

Before any more could be said, the door once more swung open, but Kankuro paused in his entrance, forcing the rest to stop, too.

"What's with the atmosphere?" he demanded and scowled. "Did somebody die?"

"Kankuro," Temari snapped, glaring at her brother angrily. "Think before you speak."

His eyes widened and he quickly did a head count, only to frown. "What's going on?"

This time, Itachi was the one who sighed. Sasuke had already made it obvious that his eyes had been stolen. "It seems there has been a breach in security. Late last night, our father was attacked in his sleep."

Shikamaru's eyes widened, his breath leaving him like a punch in the gut. "Somebody managed to infiltrate the Uchiha District?"

He nodded once. "For now, Sasuke and I have been ordered to remain here and complete our mission. However, there is every chance that the clan will demand my return."

"To take your father's place," Kakashi said.

"Only if your father proves he cannot defend our clan." They all looked to Shisui, but his eyes were fixed on Itachi. "Fugaku-sama is a capable shinobi, Itachi. Do not underestimate him simply because he can no longer use his Sharingan."

Sasuke fell back onto the bed, his head dropping into his hands. "That's not the point," he muttered darkly. "The clan won't accept him as patriarch without his Sharingan. He'll be cast aside like trash, just like Obito was for giving-"

"Sasuke," Naruto yelled in disbelieving anger.

"Watch your mouth," Kakashi was suddenly on his feet and serious, a harsh glare in his single eye and behind him, his ninken pack growled warningly. "I get that you're in shock and upset, but do not go hurling insults at the people I consider to be precious to me, Sasuke. You may think that his sacrifice is trash, just like every other damned Uchiha in your clan, but Obito was willing to die for me."

They were all stunned by his outburst, by the amount of anger in his voice, but the second his ninken responded to his emotions, Sakura quickly intervened, pressing a hand to his chest and offering him a small smile. "Why don't we go for a walk, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked softly. "You know Sasuke-kun doesn't mean what he's saying. He's angry."

Breathing deeply through his nose, Kakashi sighed and looked down at her, returning her smile with one of his own. "You were always the peacekeeper of the team." Then, his eye went back to Sasuke, who was still glaring down at the ground with his head in his hands. "I understand that what Obito did was wrong in your clan's eyes, but I thought I trained you better than that, Sasuke."

Before anyone else got involved or began talking once more, Sakura took her sensei's hand and smiled sweetly at him, pulling him out of the bunker with his ninken pack following closely behind. On her way out, she spared Itachi a glance, wondering if he would be okay with handling Sasuke, but immediately scolded herself for even considering that he'd find it difficult.

It would be best to keep all arguments and anger towards one another to a minimum, hence her reason for offering to take a walk with Kakashi even though she was still recovering from yesterday's battle. The others seemed to follow their example, leaving the two brothers to talk in private.

"I'm sorry for getting so angry," Kakashi told her as they got far enough for nobody else to hear them. The dogs were running ahead, enjoying the freedom and the decrease in temperature now that night was approaching.

Sakura shook her head, her expression sad. "I don't blame you for getting so upset, Sensei. Obito-san… He saved both yours and Rin-san's lives, even though it meant the end of his own." She looked up, smiling softly. "Only scum abandon their friends and comrades, right?"

His single eye creased slightly. "It was Obito who taught me that."

Yes, she had picked up on that when she was younger. Obito had had the tendency to interrupt their training with his 'words of wisdom', as he'd so proudly claimed them to be.

"I was relieved when he returned to the village," Kakashi admitted. "We were all so certain that he was dead. If he'd taken a day longer to return, his name would have been on that cenotaph."

That would have been awkward.

Many still wondered how Obito managed to survive such a thing. He'd basically had his entire right half crushed and the proof was in his horrific scars, however, he claimed to have no idea how he survived. It was all blank to him. Sakura knew the truth, though. She and Shisui were the only ones in their timeline who knew the truth.

The other Itachi was the one who saved him, since he knew what his supposed death meant and what it would eventually lead to. After allowing Madara to heal his body to a certain extent (a state he knew Tsunade would be able to finish healing), he struck, taking the weakened man out and stopping all of his plans. In order to keep his existence a secret, he'd then used his crow's eye (Sakura later learned it to be Shisui's eye) to wipe his memories.

Leaving him a mile away from Konoha's gates, Itachi made him believe he somehow made it out by himself.

It caused so many questions, but as well as that, it had hatred towards Obito growing within the clan when he refused to take back his eye from Kakashi. It was a 'gift' was what he apparently told them.

"Obito must be one of life's greatest mysteries," she joked lightly.

He smirked. "He is."

* * *

It was much later that night, once everything had calmed down, when Sakura approached Shisui.

Somehow, Itachi had managed to make Sasuke see sense. At the end of the day, he was worried for his father, to the point where it threw all rational thoughts out of the window. The mere thought of somebody managing to enter the compound without being detected scared him, because there was every chance that it could happen again and next time, it could be more than eyes that were taken and Sakura wasn't going to lie, she was shaken, too.

On some level, she could understand the other Itachi's reasoning, but there were no signs of Fugaku planning to go against the village. Had there been, their own Itachi would have dealt with the problem.

…Then again, that was what had led to the massacre. Not finding any other solution, Itachi had gone through with his orders and slaughtered everyone except for his younger brother.

She sat down on the now cold sand, her eyes worried as she glanced up at Shisui before following his line of sight, staring up at the stars. There seemed to be so many.

"They're going to blame Hokage-sama," Shisui stated seriously after a few minutes of silence and his fists clenched. "He knew of Fugaku-sama's Mangekyō and the destruction it could cause. What…" His hand ran through his hair, not for the first time that day stunning her at his loss of composure. "What the hell was he thinking?"

Sakura shifted and clutched his hand before he pulled his hair out. "I don't think he _was_, Shisui," she responded quietly. "What if… What if being in this timeline for so long, without any real contact and only fighting as company, has affected him?"

He seemed thoughtful, like he was considering it. "It is possible that being in a universe that is not his own, filled with faces that are long gone in his own, has affected him negatively. Not to mention his illness has returned. This time, he will have no medication."

That was true and it made her heart leap into her throat.

"It seems we must deal with this ourselves, Sakura." Shisui glanced down at her. "I'm afraid I must ask for your help to dissipate any hostility."

"We're the only ones that know the truth," she agreed.

They would have to take matters into their own hands in order to prevent what the other Itachi seemed to be unintentionally starting.

_A coup d'état._


	27. Somebody to Lean On

**Chapter 27**

**Somebody To Lean On**

* * *

The following month seemed to drag by.

All of the tension must have had a negative effect on Naruto, because he had so much difficulty focusing in his training, to the point where Gaara was telling him to get more rest.

Sakura knew that his inability to focus was partly her own fault. Blurting something such as his illness out was bound to raise many questions for the blond, ones that couldn't be answered until they returned to Konoha. Damn it, she regretted saying anything, but what choice did she have? Sasuke had looked like he was on the verge of losing it altogether. He was blaming everyone and anyone about his father's eyes and first and foremost, was Minato. Why, Sakura had no idea, but according to him, their Hokage had always been suspicious of Fugaku's eyes and the power he possessed.

Since the news of Naruto's illness at birth, however, Sasuke had kept to himself. He wouldn't communicate with any of them and he wouldn't let on to what he was thinking. It was worrying her beyond belief.

_What if he did something stupid?_

_What if he blamed and left Konoha?_

That wasn't possible, was it? Surely Sasuke wouldn't leave them? Maybe she was looking too much into it?

_But, the other Sasuke…_

Rubbing the back of her neck and sighing, she looked around herself, watching the goodbyes as they prepared to part with the Sand Siblings.

Last night, Sakura had already said goodbye to Temari, who'd become a good friend to her, because she knew that the blonde would want to focus solely on Shikamaru today. Despite not being a 'girly girl', as Temari had dubbed it, she was still capable of falling head over heels for someone.

Since she was still the captain, Sakura shook hands with Gaara, smiling warmly as she thanked him for helping them out. Her smile seemed to have surprised him, because for a moment, Gaara didn't say anything and she could have been wrong, but Sakura was pretty certain there'd been a short lived blush on his cheeks. He was quite cute, she supposed.

Soon after, they left, heading back to Konoha at a fast pace for the sake of Sasuke's sanity. He'd been somewhat patient, but it was obvious that he was aching to return home to see his father. Sakura simply hoped that was all he wanted to do.

* * *

The journey was silent.

Itachi stared ahead of himself as he and Sakura took the lead. Usually medics were to stay in the middle of the group, surrounded by the rest of them in case there was an ambush. Sakura, however, was a medic who could fight on the frontlines. She was capable of reducing this entire area to rubble with a single punch.

He reminded himself to thank her when they had a moment alone, because without her unwavering support, Itachi wasn't so sure that he would have been able to deal with Sasuke at a time such as this. On top of all of her hard work, Sakura had also stood by his side and supported him. It was obvious that she was saddened by his imminent retirement and Itachi had to admit that he wasn't ready for it, either. He wasn't ready to give up all of his hard work and become the patriarch of the clan.

No more missions. No more protecting the village with everything he had. His sole purpose would be to protect the clan, to live for the clan. It would be rare for him to have a moment to himself, as the transitioning stage would last for a while. Not only that, but his father wouldn't be ready to give it all up. Or would he?

"_There is no use in sitting around and fretting about a future that may not even exist as of yet. What matters is the present."_

When alone, that was what Shisui had told him. There was every chance that Fugaku would be able to protect the clan without his eyesight, but Itachi sincerely doubted it. No, he was not underestimating the power of his father or his abilities. What Itachi _was_ doubting was the state he would be in mentally and emotionally now that the source of said power was gone. It would take a long time for his father to adjust. There was the chance that he wouldn't even want to leave their home, as he would feel like a failure for being unable to protect the clan's secrets.

What had Itachi on edge the most, however, was the fact that somebody managed to not only sneak into the district undetected, but also managed to enter their bedroom, had managed to stand over his parents as they slept before stealing his father's eyes. How on earth had they not noticed anything? Who could possibly be so… so talented?

His father was not a weak man and the same could be said about his mother. They were both elite jonin who'd been on their fair share of dangerous missions. Itachi could remember waking one night as a child and trying to sneak out, wanting to train more. He hadn't even made it halfway across the veranda before he was stopped by Fugaku. That was when Itachi had been around eight or nine years old. Not a single floorboard had creaked and there were no squeaky hinges on any of the doors. He'd been silent, yet it was still enough to wake his father.

So who could have managed to sneak into the district? Who could have managed to take his eyes? According to the scroll Minato had sent them, it hadn't been until the culprit had attacked that Fugaku and Mikoto awoke. With her husband in excruciating pain, she had fought to the best of her ability, going all out and doing her best to protect their clan's secrets and retrieve the sharingan. A single blow and she was unconscious.

Itachi gritted his teeth.

The fighting had attracted the other clansmen, who were all horrified by the events, but even against the most elite of the Uchiha, the guy had escaped into the night. They had taken Mikoto back to the house, only to be further taken aback by the sight of Fugaku.

Apparently there was nothing to track the attacker on. They had no leads. It could have possibly been another village but they couldn't outright accuse any of them. They would have to bide their time and hope somebody slipped up somewhere down the line.

And Itachi would be waiting for that moment.

* * *

They had everyone's full attention when they returned and Sakura felt self-consciousness gnaw at her as they walked down the streets of Konoha. All eyes were on them, but mainly the three Uchiha.

Staying by his side, Sakura glanced up at Itachi, holding back her frown. He didn't seem to care about their watchful gazes or the whispering, but she knew he was running on a short amount of patience. It was obvious because she could actually read his expression.

Rushed footsteps approached them and they came to a stop, only for Sakura to look away with annoyance when she recognised Izumi. The woman had stopped right in front of them, directly in front of Itachi. She was looking up at him with large eyes mixed with sadness and hope and worry.

"Itachi-kun, I heard what happened."

"We must report to Hokage-sama," he told her.

She frowned. "Wait-"

They didn't have time for her words. Not only that, but he didn't have the patience for them, either and she knew he wouldn't want to cause a scene or upset his childhood friend. Reaching out, Sakura took his arm and gave a firm pull. "The sooner we report to Hokage-sama the sooner you can return to Fugaku-sama."

Itachi nodded once and allowed her to lead him away, walking around Izumi and back on their previous path. Like herself, he didn't seem concerned with the disbelieving dark eyes that followed after them. All Itachi wanted was to return home now that they were back in Konoha.

She selfishly hoped that there was some way around it all. Itachi had confided in her, telling her that he didn't want to become patriarch (in fewer words) and Sakura's heart ached for him, because at that moment in time, it seemed so unavoidable.

Minato's doors were open for them when they arrived and the blond was waiting behind his desk patiently, a grim expression as their greeting. She missed the smile he usually greeted her with and as Shisui shut the door, it felt like the sudden silence was deafening.

She decided to stand beside Itachi, continuing to offer her silent support and Sasuke was on her other side. It was his own choice, just as it was his own choice to stand closer to her than usual. It surprised her, because he had still seemed so angry with her not too long ago.

"I want to start by thanking you all," said Minato, "especially the two of you, Itachi-san, Sasuke-kun. It can't have been easy."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "No, it wasn't."

Nobody scolded him for replying so rudely.

The Hokage sighed. "Believe me, I tried my best to talk Fugaku-san into allowing your return. Both your mother and I thought it would help with his recovery."

She couldn't help but frown and Sakura noticed she wasn't the only one.

"So you're saying he didn't want us there," muttered Sasuke.

"You can't blame him for that, Sasuke." Shisui's voice was quiet. "Your father is a proud man."

"He wouldn't want his sons seeing him like that," Kakashi added.

But Sasuke ignored them all, staring at Minato with hard eyes. "Tell me the truth."

There was another sigh, followed shortly by Minato standing from his seat and walking around the desk, leaning back against it. His arms were folded over his chest and the grim look was back. "Your father has yet to adjust to life without sight, Sasuke-kun. So far, the only person who has been able to get through to him is your mother."

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at the rest of the team, her frown deepening. It felt wrong to be discussing such a private family matter with everyone else there. She herself felt out of place.

"Naruto-kun has succeeded in his training," Itachi suddenly spoke up.

He must have felt the same way as herself, then.

Catching on, Shisui added, "There is still work to be done, but Naruto-kun can now control a fraction of the Kyuubi's power. He no longer loses control."

Sasuke looked away with a harsh glare and Minato sighed, patting his shoulder. "We will discuss this more later, Sasuke-kun. I promise I will give you all the information that has been given to me."

"In all fairness, Hokage-sama, that information should not be coming from you." It startled her to hear such coldness in Itachi's voice and when she glanced back at him, Sakura saw that the coldness was on his features, too. "Our father should be the one to tell us these things."

"I understand what you are saying, Itachi-kun," the blond replied. "However, there is little chance of you meeting with your father today. His wish is to be left alone."

"And I will deal with that issue when it comes to it," he retorted, his voice hardening. "Right now, I am here to report on my mission and after, my brother and I will be going to visit our father. Anything to do with him is nobody's concern but our family's."

She seriously hoped the matter wouldn't be pushed any further, because for the past week, Sakura had noticed Itachi's patience dwindling at a startling rate. They should refrain from testing the limits to his patience. She had seen what the other Itachi was capable of when pushed too hard.

"Hokage-sama," Sakura called softly, trying to defuse the tension, "please understand that ever since we received the news, both Itachi and Sasuke-kun have followed their orders of supervising Naruto's training, despite wanting to be with Fugaku-sama in his hour of need." Her eyebrows knitted together, her eyes trying to convey that they _had_ to stop pushing them. "Please do not ask them to wait even longer. They need to see for themselves that he is physically well."

Much to her surprise and happiness, both Shikamaru and Naruto agreed with her, the pair of them nodding. Thankfully, they'd noticed the same thing as she had. It was probably why they were being so quiet – well, why Naruto was being quiet.

Shisui sighed. "Please excuse our behaviour and attitude, Hokage-sama," he quietly pleaded. "It has been a difficult month and to make things worse, there was not much news on Fugaku-sama's recovery."

Minato nodded. "I am sorry for that. Fugaku-san did not want to disclose anything. He has been…" He looked at the two brothers, frowning minutely. "He has been a very difficult patient for Tsunade-sama."

That was something Sakura didn't doubt. However, this conversation was over the second she noticed the ticking of Itachi's eyebrow. "As captain of Team Seven, I would like to dismiss Sasuke-kun from reporting on our mission. I will personally make sure you have his written report as soon as possible." She stood taller, demanding herself to look more confident, just as her shishou taught her. "He is in no state to do this right now."

In an instant, Sasuke's eyes were on her, widening.

She glanced over at Shisui and raised an eyebrow. "He's not on my team for this mission, but knowing Itachi the way I do, he needs to rest. Like his brother, Itachi is in no condition to report to you right now, Hokage-sama." Sakura's eyes returned to his, serious and determined. "If you would please dismiss them."

They could only stare at her in shock.

Minato shook his head, a small, wry smile on his lips. "You are certainly Tsunade-sama's apprentice." Then, he nodded once. "I suppose you are right, Sakura-chan. Sasuke-kun, Itachi-san, you are both dismissed. Please have your written reports brought to me by the end of the week."

She flashed them a smile on their way out, secretly making the victory sign at an angle the Hokage wouldn't see.

"They will appreciate that," Kakashi told her quietly as he stepped to stand beside her.

Yeah, they'd better.

Naruto was immediately on her other side, daring his father to try and reprimand her.

Sakura looked back to Minato, offering him a sweet smile. "Shall we get started, Hokage-sama?"

* * *

The atmosphere of their home was gloomy and dark. Exchanging a look with his younger brother as they slipped off their shoes, Itachi stretched out his senses to find that yes, they were both there.

"Tadaima," he called out, giving them fair warning of their arrival.

Only moments later and light footsteps approached, a figure turning around a corner just as he and Sasuke were stood upright once more. Their mother tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked haggard and run-down, like she'd been doing nothing but work without any sleep.

"Okaerinasai," she replied softly.

As expected of him, Sasuke cut through the polite chitchat, immediately demanding, "Where's Father? We want to-"

"He is resting right now," Mikoto told them. "It would be best to leave all conversations until later."

"When will 'later' be, Mother?" Itachi questioned smoothly and walked further into the house. It was cold, with all lights switched off, leaving it considerably dark despite it being early in the afternoon. It didn't feel how a home was supposed to. Even to them. "We have already waited a month, at Father's request."

Their mother sighed, but her expression was neutral, leaving them to guess at what she was truly feeling. For all Itachi knew, she could have been getting agitated with them, though he was more inclined to believe that she was feeling stressed and tired.

"Your father needs to rest."

"Mother-"

Her patience snapped. "He does not want any visitors."

Sasuke looked away, his eyebrows knitting together.

Mikoto's eyes softened. "Forgive me for raising my voice, Sasuke."

"I just want to know how he's feeling," he replied quietly.

"I know."

Standing up straight once more, Itachi walked around his mother, his own patience vanishing. Yes, she was strong, but she was not able to stop him should he put all his effort into something.

The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees when they realised what was happening. Or was it his imagination? More than likely. However, his mother radiated some dark waves of anger when she noticed her eldest son heading towards her shared bedroom with Fugaku. Itachi ignored them with ease and Sasuke was right on his heels, nearly walking straight into him, but like with his mother's escalating anger, he managed to ignore it.

And then they reached the bedroom and before Mikoto could get between them to keep the door shut, Itachi slid it open.

The contents of the room… flipped his stomach.

The left wall, the one that had once allowed them to look out at their garden due to the large window, was a completely new wall that had been made in haste. It stood out starkly compared to the rest of the house, mainly due to the fact that it had yet to be painted to blend in. There was also no longer a window. Itachi hadn't been aware that either his mother or the attacker had taken out a wall.

His father was sat up in his bed with heavy bandages wrapped around his eyes. Resting his hands on his lap, he seemed almost at peace, but the two brothers could tell that he was tense and probably in pain.

"Father," Itachi greeted.

Silence.

"Father?" Sasuke tried, his voice small. "Is there anything you want us to do?"

That gained a reaction. Fugaku's head turned fractionally in their direction. "What I want… is to be left alone."

"Then that is too bad," stated Itachi. "You are our father, meaning you are the man we admire and aspire to be like. Why are you not fighting?"

His father's jaw clenched.

Sasuke spoke next. His voice was still soft and quiet, like he didn't dare raise it any higher and behind them, Mikoto appeared in the doorway, but she kept quiet and held her tongue. "You've always taken care of us when we were injured, Father," said Sasuke with a frown. "Now it's our turn to take care of you."

Noticing something that they hadn't, their mother stepped around them and placed her hands on their shoulders, facing them. "I tried to tell you both that your father needs to be resting. Itachi, Sasuke you must-"

But it was Fugaku who interrupted her, saying, "They may as well have killed me."

"Father, don't say that," Itachi murmured and he sat down beside him, pulling away from Mikoto easily. "You are powerful without your eyes-"

"But not _as_ powerful." He gritted his teeth and the tension in his body increased. "I can already sense how weak this has made me."

"I don't think you're weakened," Sasuke argued without hesitation and knelt beside the bed. "You're still my powerful father. You simply have a new obstacle to overcome and we're all willing to help. Just like you helped me with my jutsu, Father. If it weren't for your pushing, I never would have felt the need to master it so quickly."

The atmosphere was still bleak and oppressing and it made Itachi feel as though he was being weighed down by the force of his father's helplessness. It was suffocating him and a single glance at his brother and mother told him that they felt the same way as himself. However, in that single glance, they all agreed to do their best to support Fugaku, regardless of the fact that being around him was painful. They couldn't imagine what it was like to actually be him, or in a situation such as his.

"I came to the decision that I would take over clan responsibilities," Itachi stated, though hid his reluctance well. "However, this is only for the duration of your recovery."

"How can I possibly be of any use to our clan like this?" Fugaku snarled in return, head snapping in his direction. "I am useless to the clan now. They will not follow a patriarch who not only no longer possesses the sharingan, but also has no eyes."

"Father-"

"Leave me," he ordered, cutting off Sasuke.

"Fugaku-" tried Mikoto.

Instead of replying vocally, Fugaku turned his back on them after laying down on the bed once more. The already cold air felt ten degrees colder.

His father had always been a reserved man and had always been rather cold in the way he spoke with others, but it had never been to this extent. Never had Itachi ever seen him so rudely ignore his mother, like she was nothing more than an annoying pest. It aggravated him beyond belief, because Mikoto was doing nothing but her absolute best for him in his hour of need. However, Itachi noted that he had to try and view things from Fugaku's perspective, too. Whereas they were struggling to find a way to help him, Fugaku was experiencing loss and pain on a whole other level. They couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like.

"Come." Standing, Itachi walked towards the door, quietly telling them both, "There are arrangements that must be dealt with."

"Itachi." His father didn't look at him. He continued to face the other wall, continued giving them all his back. Itachi could only look at their clan's emblem and there was no explaining the bitterness seeping through every pore of his body at the sight of it. "The clan is in your hands," he muttered. "Even if you don't wish to lead the Uchiha, it is now your new role."

Remaining calm and keeping his anger from showing, Itachi replied, "I understand."

* * *

She tapped her fingers on the table with no set rhythm, only to force herself to stop when the other girl looked up from her food at them, clenching her fingers into a fist to try and keep them still.

It was a beautiful day, don't get her wrong. There wasn't a cloud in the blindingly bright blue sky and the sounds of birds calling out to one another in a breathtaking tune, was attempting to lull her into relaxation. It wasn't the kind of horrid squawking the bigger, meaner looking birds made. It was the soothing, pleasant songs of stunning birds that brightened up the sky with their beauty.

She shut her eyes and sighed.

In a bid of clearing her mind and forgetting all about her worries, Sakura had asked Hinata out for lunch, but it was doing her no good. Even while sitting outside in such a peaceful girl's presence.

The heat wasn't unbearable like it had been out in the desert and she was capable of breathing without inhaling mouthfuls of sand.

"Sakura-san?"

Her head snapped up and Sakura smiled. "Is something wrong, Hinata?"

Before Ino's death, she'd never spent much time with Hinata. Honestly, she still didn't. But they enjoyed each other's company and didn't mind sitting with one another for lunch every now and then.

Pale eyes never left hers for a moment. It didn't surprise her, really. Many people believed Hinata to be some nervous pushover who couldn't get a single sentence out without stuttering. They couldn't have been more wrong, however. The only time she ever acted in such a submissive way was when Naruto or her clan was around. Any other time and Hinata wasn't afraid to show the world that she had a backbone.

"I was about to ask the same thing," she replied. "You seem distracted."

It was rude of her, Sakura knew it was, but she couldn't apologise for it. Her mind was glued on Itachi and Sasuke, wondering how they were doing and whether they managed to speak to their father or not. Did Itachi have to step up? Was Sasuke's anger cooling off? Were they coping?

"Sorry." Her smile dimmed and a hand came up to the back of her neck, rubbing it. Such an awful habit, she told herself. It didn't stop her from breaking that habit, though. "I'm just worried."

Hinata's expression softened. "Sasuke-kun will be okay, Sakura-san."

"How can you be so sure?"

"He has both you and Naruto-kun," she told her. "As long as Sasuke-kun has his friends supporting him, he will get through this."

She was right. Sakura smiled more earnestly this time.

"Now, eat, Sakura-san." Hinata's voice became serious. "How can your friends lean on you if you're too weak to hold their weight?"

The smile faltered.

For a moment there, she had almost sounded like Itachi.

"Sakura."

_Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear._

The seriousness left Hinata's features as she regarded the tall man standing beside their table in surprise. Everything about him was calm and composed. Not a single hair out of place or a single flicker of emotion in his eyes or voice.

"Sorry, Hinata." Sakura stood up without hesitation and placed down her share of the bill. "I-"

"Go." She smiled in response.

It was a small, knowing smile and it made her pause in her exit, only to shake her head and continue on her way. Usually, it was the women who walked a few steps behind the men, but she and Itachi seemed to have switched positions, because she was the one leading the way to her apartment and holding open the door for him. The entire journey was in utter silence. Previously, it would have worried Sakura, but she supposed she'd grown used to it by now.

She held the door open for him, watching his back as he stepped further into her living room before sighing and entering herself, shutting the door quietly.

The living room was a mess, but he either didn't notice or he simply didn't care. To try and alleviate some of the embarrassment she was feeling, however, Sakura quickly marched over to the sofa and grabbed her laundry off it, only to dump it into the washing basket in the kitchen. She'd been meaning to clean up, but something else always needed doing first.

Even she knew her face was red by the time Sakura returned to him, smiling sheepishly. "It's not usually such a mess…"

They'd only just returned from their mission, which was the reason behind the mess. Unfortunately, her tendency to dump her dirty laundry and shoes wherever she pleased hadn't subsided any. In her defence, however, Sakura hadn't been expecting a guest. She was actually having dinner with her parents at their place later on in the evening.

He didn't reply.

Sakura bit her lip. "How bad…?"

Finally, Itachi shut his eyes and sighed, sitting down on the sofa. "Shisui has been ordered to prepare me for stepping up."

Shisui, too? She sat down beside him, frowning. "But… Shouldn't it be clan elders?"

"I refused."

"Why?"

Much to her surprise, he sat back into the sofa, seeming at complete ease in her apartment. It wouldn't have gained her attention if it weren't for the fact he'd only been there twice.

"They are old men who continue to follow in our ancestors' beliefs," Itachi explained without hesitation. "They will do whatever they must to twist things, to warp the younger generations into following those beliefs, also." He looked down at her. "If I am to do this, I will do it my own way."

Sakura shifted, folding her legs beneath herself and edging closer to him. "You want to change the ways of your clan?"

"Yes."

"But surely they're against that?" She frowned.

He nodded, annoyance flitting over his features. "They wish to have a say in my decisions and to remain on the council."

"Then I guess they'll want you to marry within the clan, right? Before you officially become patriarch, I mean."

"I will do it without a wife or I will not do it at all," Itachi said coldly.

"…Oh." She looked away, biting her lip. Had she offended him? Had she hit a nerve?

It was only natural to assume something such as that, though. Wasn't it? She and Neji had been discussing something along those lines. In his own clan, they had completely dismissed the idea of Hinata becoming the clan head due to her lacking in strength – they were annoyed that her younger sister, Hanabi, had overpowered her without even trying by the age of eight.

However, in a bid to keep their Byakugan pure and untainted and also in case anything happened to Hanabi, the clan elders were thinking about having her marry Neji. Sure, she was powerful and there was potential to grow stronger, but apparently she was nothing in comparison to Neji's leaps in power. That meant their children would be downright unbeatable. It didn't matter to them that they were cousins. What mattered to them was that he was a member of the branch family, which was the only reason behind their hesitation. Hyuuga Hiashi was doing his best to prevent it from happening (his daughter wasn't even fifteen yet), but it was looking more and more probable.

The fact that Neji had confided in her about such a huge thing still warmed her heart. She was forming bonds with her team, even if their captain hadn't been all too enthusiastic about it in the beginning.

"Forgive me." Itachi's hand came up to his forehead, massaging his temple. "As soon as they found out I had returned, the clan elders wished to discuss many things with me. I have only just managed to escape."

Escape… Sakura smiled teasingly. "And you came to me for protection? I'm honoured." At his surprise, her smile widened to a grin. "Don't worry, Itachi. I'll protect you from the evil elders."

There was a small smirk, much to her delight, but it faded as quickly as it appeared and it made her heart ache.

Couldn't they see that Itachi didn't want any of that yet? Perhaps in the future, when he was settled and ready for such a huge commitment, but not now. Not when he had so much to live for and see.

"Sakura, forgive me for burdening you with my problems."

Her hand reached out and grabbed his arm, sensing he was about to leave. He couldn't, not now that he was finally opening up to her. "No, don't be. You've done so much for me since I joined your team, Itachi. This is the least I can do, right?"

There was a pause in his reply and when she noticed he was staring at her, Sakura ducked her head, blushing and slowly pulling her hand back to herself. Perhaps that had come off as too strong? Or too forward?

Glancing up at him through the curtain of her hair, she quickly looked away, realising he was still staring. "What?" She pouted, puffing out her cheeks.

The next time she looked, Itachi offered her a small smile. "Thank you for listening, Sakura."

Another blush raged on her cheeks and she was horrified when her heart skipped a beat.

_Stupid Uchiha…_

"How about some tea?" she offered and was on her feet in an instant, turning away to hide the redness of her face.

"I would like that."

On her way to the kitchen, Sakura dared one last glance, but was surprised to find that Itachi was too busy gazing at her photographs to notice. He'd done that not the last time he was in her apartment, but the time before. The time when she'd pretty much tackled him.

It was a short task making the tea and as she did, she pondered the situation he was in. Doing so only angered her, however. The thought of anyone being forced into doing something they didn't want to do upset her, but to have it be somebody she cared about? Oh, it made her _so_ angry.

Her kitchen was chilly despite the warm weather outside, making Sakura walk over to the kitchen window and slide it shut. She'd opened it earlier, to try and get some fresh air into the room as it'd been rather stuffy. It _was_ in the shade at this time of day, she supposed.

Other than her own movements, all else was still and silent in her apartment. It was almost possible to believe that there wasn't actually anyone else there with her, that she was all alone.

She only stole one glance at the clock in order to keep track of the time. Happy that she had plenty of time before dinner with her parents, Sakura grabbed a tray and set about placing the tea cups and pot of tea onto it, smiling to herself as she re-entered the living area.

Itachi was standing once more and like that day when she kissed him, he was staring up at her photographs. There wasn't any particular expression on his face as she placed the tray onto the coffee table slowly, regarding him with a frown.

"Itachi?"

He didn't look away from them. "How much have I taken away from you, Sakura?"

Her frown deepened and she suddenly felt wary. "Excuse me?"

Itachi turned, gesturing at the photographs half-heartedly. "Before I asked Hokage-sama to promote you, you had a life."

"I still have one now." She tried to smile and took a step closer, but he shook his head. "Itachi-"

"Sasuke was right."

_"Naruto said her death will be on Minato's hands, but it's going to be on _your _hands," he stated coldly. "And when that happens, I'll be right by his side when he comes for you."_

"Perhaps not physically, but emotionally ANBU is killing you and it is my fault." Itachi frowned softly, appearing tired. "The rest of us are used to the constant flow of missions. I never took into account that you wouldn't be."

"Itachi, don't-"

"Please forgive me for not taking more notice."

Finally having enough of his constant apologies, Sakura stomped her way over to where he was standing and raised her hand, slapping him. There was no real force behind it – not enough to leave a mark, anyway. It stung, though. She could tell by the surprise in his eyes, by the slowness of his hand raising to his cheek.

"Stop it," she told him seriously, eyes narrowing as she lowered her hand to her side. "I knew what I was signing up for and I haven't complained once, have I? Now stop with your self-pity, Uchiha Itachi." There was a pause and Sakura sighed. "And for your information, I'm having dinner with my parents tonight and training with Team Seven tomorrow."

This seemed to lighten the tension in his shoulders, much to her relief and seeing it, she reached out, taking the hand that was just dropping away from his face. He didn't fight her when she guided him back to the sofa, sitting him down in his previous place and once he was sat down, Sakura served the tea, offering him his cup with a smile.

They drank in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"Sakura-"

"I swear, if you're going to apologise again, I'm going to glue your lips together."

Itachi hid his smile with his cup. "Actually, I was about to thank you."

"…Oh."

Placing the cup down onto the table, he turned in his seat slightly to face her fully, his smile dimming. "Thank you for not shutting me out, even though I deserved it after the way I treated you."

After shouting at her and basically accusing her of being a whore, he meant. Sakura sighed and ran a hand through her hair, vaguely wondering when or if she would ever get rid of all the sand she kept finding in it.

"I told you before, Itachi: we all make mistakes."

"And I made a great one," he countered with ease. "Which is why I am grateful. Despite how I treated you, you have still stood by me and listened to my problems when I needed somebody the most."

Yes, but Sakura had a feeling she still wasn't being allowed all the way in just yet. Why did it feel like he was only sharing such things because she already knew about them? Or was she simply being paranoid?

From what she had gathered from the other Itachi's memories, the Itachi sat before her had still lost his genin team, though not in the same way as the other version's. It had been imperative that it happened, as it meant the awakening of Itachi's sharingan, but part of Sakura wished that it hadn't. Sure, it meant less power, but who wanted power if it accompanied a heart wrenching grief?

Not once had Itachi ever mentioned them. Nor had he ever told her much about his friends and family. Sasuke, she obviously knew about, but she didn't know that much about his parents. And what about Izumi? He'd told her that they were childhood friends, but… It was obvious she wanted more. Did Itachi know about that? Did he want the same?

"I thought about punishing you," she replied with a teasing lilt to her voice.

"Oh?"

A smirk made its way to her lips. "Mhm."

"I'm sure it would have been severe." For some reason, the smirk on his face said otherwise.

"The worst."

Sakura was amused when Itachi placed his arm on the back of the sofa, leaning his side against it and facing her. The smirk was still there, causing a small flutter in her belly that she couldn't understand. It felt… warm. Kind of.

"I suppose I should be careful not to get on your bad side, then."

Along with her stomach, her cheeks suddenly felt warm, too. She looked away, smiling nervously and missing the softened look that entered his expression.

* * *

They had spoken for hours about everything and nothing all at once.

Soon enough it began to grow dark and as much as she enjoyed his company, Sakura knew she couldn't cancel on her parents. It was the first time in months that she would be sitting down and sharing a meal with them.

Walking together side by side, she smiled up at Itachi and waved once as the district came into view.

He seemed displeased. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your parents'?"

She returned the displeased expression. "Are you saying I'm not capable of looking after myself?"

There was a pause in his turning away, a falter in his smirk.

And then he stunned her by poking her forehead. He smiled. "Perhaps next time, then."

"…Yeah," she murmured, slowly raising a hand and rubbing her forehead.

For a while, Sakura was incapable of moving. Why, of all things, would he poke her forehead? But then it hit her and when it did, her breath left her. Her heart stopped. Her stomach flipped anxiously and with excitement.

_Forgive me, Sasuke. Maybe next time._

_Forgive me, Sasuke. We will train another time._

_Forgive me, Sasuke. There will be no next time._

Her hand dropped, hanging uselessly at her side.

_What did that mean?_ Was there any significant meaning to it? Was it just his way of saying thank you? The other Itachi's meaning had been-

"Don't think too much into it."

The voice startled her and when she turned, Sakura was surprised to find Izumi only a few feet away from her. Itachi was already out of sight, she realised after a few seconds. How long had Izumi been there?

"The forehead poke?" She pushed away from the wall and strutted her way over until she was standing close to Sakura. "It's not exactly rare, you know." Raising an eyebrow, Izumi folded her arms over her chest. "He used to poke mine when we were kids."

…He did?

No, that couldn't be true. How was she supposed to believe a word that came out of that Uchiha's mouth? "You're the one who told Itachi that Shisui and I were in a relationship," accused Sakura.

"And?"

"Why would you do that?" Sakura frowned in confusion.

Izumi scoffed and placed a hand on her hip. "You're a rival, that's why," she told her simply. "I won't lose Itachi-kun to you."

Rival…

"_From now I'm not the girl that follows you around," she told Ino determinedly and held out the ribbon. "We're rivals for Sasuke-kun's heart and I won't lose to you anymore!"_

Something deep within her chest clenched. "Izumi-san, I'm not-"

"Save it." She raised a single eyebrow. "Itachi-kun will never be with a weak woman, which is why I am going to make sure I become stronger for him. You…" Izumi shook her head, her long, brown hair shifting with the movements. "You might actually be a worthy rival, unlike those other women who tried to steal his heart from me. _Don't_ let me down."

It was without another word that Izumi brushed by her and entered the Uchiha District, her hair flowing behind her and it left Sakura _speechless_ when she unwillingly compared the sight of the Uchiha's back to Ino's. The blonde had left her in the same manner, right down to the movements of her beautiful platinum blonde hair swaying in the wind.

How the hell…

Her fists clenched and tears stung her eyes.

How the hell did she get stuck in such a problematic situation?


	28. Going Back To Square One

**Chapter 28**

**Going Back To Square One**

* * *

"No, I want them gone," the woman said. "I'm adamant in my decision."

Sakura's heart ached viciously but at the same time, she wanted to shake her something awful. Instead she settled on picking up her paperwork and turning a page, jotting something down.

"It won't be a quick and simple process, I'm afraid." Glancing up, she raised an eyebrow. "There needs to be psychological examinations and countless meetings-"

"Why?" she demanded.

"Because there is no real reason to have your ovaries removed," Sakura couldn't help but snap in response. "You have no cancerous genes and there are no abnormalities, Akino-san."

"I can complete more missions successfully without them!"

So basically, she wanted to remove her ovaries for the sake of the village and in that moment, Sakura could have sworn her vision turned red. Many things had been taken away from shinobi in the name of their village and now this. A woman wanted…

"Your ovaries are in perfect condition – something you should be extremely grateful for," she replied seriously. "There are many women who would give anything to be able to have a child, but aren't able to because their bodies won't allow it. You should be grateful for the fact that you have a-"

"You're not listening to me," Akino yelled angrily. "It's my decision and I want them gone. If you won't do it, I'm sure I can find another medic who will."

She merely shook her head. "Any medic in their right mind wouldn't take away something that has the ability to give life. Not without a serious reason. Like I said, your ovaries are healthy."

If she allowed Akino to remove her ovaries for the sake of the village, Sakura knew she would never be able to forgive herself. They fought hard to protect their village and would gladly give their lives for it, but to ask such a thing of anyone was downright unforgivable.

Sure, it wasn't actually asked of her, but Akino was thinking only of her missions and life as a shinobi. She wasn't thinking about the possibilities of becoming a mother and sharing her life in one of the best ways possible. And it hurt Sakura, because even though she was only barely reaching seventeen, she honestly couldn't wait for that part of her life. Finding a loving husband and starting a family with him had to be one of her major goals in life, after all.

Who wanted to spend their entire life alone?

"Look," Sakura sighed and rubbed her forehead, "I suggest you go home and think more clearly about this. Maybe even have a conversation or two with a woman who _can't_ have babies and see things from their perspective." Her expression became pleading as she then went on to tell her, "Please don't give something like this up for our village, Akino-san. Hokage-sama wouldn't want something like that for anyone."

"They're a hindrance," she retorted coldly. "Periods are a hindrance. Having to use a contraception jutsu whenever I go on an extended mission is a hindrance. If other women want them so badly, then they can have my ovaries. If it makes you feel any better, I'll even freeze some before the operation-"

"It's not as simple as that," Sakura told her. "With an oophorectomy, or a hysterectomy-"

"I've done my research." Akino cut her off and stood up, fixing her bag over her shoulder. "I know what the procedure is about. If you're against it, then I understand, but just know that I _will_ go to another medic who will do this for me."

There wasn't the chance to reply, because the woman suddenly slammed out of the examination room, the harsh bang of the door closing making Sakura sigh and rub her aching temple. She knew she hadn't acted professionally, not completely, anyway. However, it had startled her how Akino was so up for being sterilised, simply because she wanted no distractions during missions, or for anything to become more important than her missions.

The woman wasn't from any particular clan, Sakura noted as she turned back to the desk on her swivel chair and flicked through the file. Quite an average family, actually. Almost like herself. The only difference was that Akino had two brothers and her father was dead. Therapy had been requested, but it seemed she never turned up, so her spot was given to someone who was willing to get help.

Why hadn't anyone followed it up? Sakura thought with clear agitation.

Continuing to mutter obscenities to herself, she collected Akino's file and left the examination room, intent on heading straight to Tsunade's office. While it was still fairly early in the day, it wasn't early enough for her shishou to be unconscious. Just hungover and with the temperament of a huge, hungry grizzly bear.

Along the way, she was stunned to pass none other than Itachi. He was seated in the waiting area, seemingly patient and calm. Surrounding him were many others who were waiting, but not as patiently as himself, it seemed. They were all showing signs of agitation and annoyance, from bouncing knees, to sighing and then to glaring at the clock.

"Itachi," Sakura acknowledged with a small hint of curiosity. "What brings you here?"

His eyes showed that he wasn't actually feeling patient and calm, especially when they drifted to the side, silently telling her to look behind him and to the right. She did so as discreetly as possible, but couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight of three other Uchiha. They were watching him with unfaltering gazes, not wanting to miss a single twitch in his muscles. An examination, more than likely. To make sure their future patriarch was in tiptop health.

"Come on." She rolled her eyes again and tipped her head in the direction of the examination office she'd _just_ come out of. "I've got some spare time and it saves you sitting around for hours."

It was an extremely busy day for them. Some absolute idiot had scheduled appointments wrong, doubling many of them up. It was why Sakura was at the hospital instead of with her boys, though they were understanding enough to wait for her. Chances were, however, that she wouldn't even be getting lunch. They needed as much help as they could get, going as far as to call in newbies.

"Thank you." He stood without hesitation and followed after her, only to pause and glare over his shoulder when the three Uchiha also stood. "I don't believe I need any assistance in this area."

"Itachi-sama, we must make sure she doesn't-"

Her eyebrow ticked and Sakura spun around with a glare of her own. "If you don't have any appointments and you're not dying, then get out of the hospital. If you haven't already noticed, we're low on staff today and it has been nonstop since early this morning. Nobody has time for this shit."

They returned her fierce glower, their upper lips curling and around them, the patients watched fearfully with wide eyes. "Oi, don't speak to us-"

"_Get out!"_

They all tensed and it took Sakura a few moments to realise the voice wasn't her own.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she turned to glance over her shoulder and swallowed hard at the sight of her shishou standing by the reception desk, hands on hips and the fire of hell in her eyes. Obviously, she was still majorly hungover and wasn't in the mood to deal with any shit.

They hesitated, looking amongst each other questioningly.

Tsunade's left eye twitched dangerously.

"We will wait for you outside, Itachi-sama," the oldest of them stated reluctantly. "Please remember that you have to meet with the elders, so do not try to lose us again."

So that was why they were so adamant about staying by his side. If they weren't, then he'd pull a disappearing act. It was quite amazing, really, for it was something she'd never expect of someone like Itachi.

Not sparing any time to think about it, because they seriously were rushed off their feet, Sakura turned and once more made her way to the examination room with Itachi a step behind her. Along the way, they passed the woman who was supposed to do the check-up. Sakura only realised this because of the way she stared at them. Unsure and defeated. Wary and annoyed. It was obvious that she wanted to complete the check-up, but that was too bad now. She'd taken too long.

Sakura didn't even look at her as she plucked the file out of her hands, only risking a single, quick glance to make sure it was actually Itachi's. As expected, it was. It was surprisingly thick, too.

"Is it just a check-up?" Sakura asked.

Just as she was about to hold the door open for him, Itachi lifted his hand way above her head, holding it open for her and allowing Sakura to walk beneath his arm. She smiled in thanks.

"No. It is a physical."

She faltered in her steps, even though she warned herself not to.

_That_ was why the nurse had appeared so upset.

The sound of the door shutting seemed loud and in that moment, the pristine examination office seemed way too small, like it was forcing them to be closer than necessary. It was a foolish feeling, but it was still there and it refused to let up.

"How long has it been since your last…?"

"About a year."

Damn it! Sakura forced herself to continue over to her desk on the far wall and placed down the two files. One was Akino's, which had yet to be given to Tsunade, and the other, Itachi's. Turning, she did her best to smile. It would be best for both of their sakes not to show any of the awkwardness she was actually feeling.

"So you were due for one anyway, despite your clan pressuring you."

"Yes."

Was he feeling uncomfortable, too? Sakura turned and bit her lip, sitting down in her chair and opening his file, leaving Akino's hidden beneath it. Usually they were not to have a patient's files within reach of another patient, but it couldn't be helped in this circumstance.

There was no need to go through the whole thing, as fascinating as it probably seemed to do so. Mostly it was routine check-ups, with the occasional admission due to an actual injury. Much to her relief, there were no notes made about any possible illnesses or birth defects. And with this examination, she could make sure that…

"Okay, sit down on the bed," she ordered and spun around in her chair, smiling. "I'd like to say that I'll be as quick as I possibly can, but then that would mean I'm not being thorough."

Itachi nodded once and did as he was told, sliding onto the examination bed. "I understand."

"If you're uncomfortable at any point, let me know and I can ask for another nurse to come and complete your psychical examination." It would be difficult, since they were so busy, but it was important to let him know such a thing. Not only because he was the heir of a powerful clan, but because first and foremost, he was a patient. "I wouldn't hold it against you."

But he simply stared at her. "I am as comfortable as I am with any other medic."

Oh…

_That_ stung.

"I see." She smiled again, trying to ignore the threatening tick of her eyebrow. In an attempt to hide it, she turned back to his file, pretending to look through it again. "Before we begin, I would like to ask if you have found yourself in pain at any point."

"No."

Sakura nodded and reached into her drawer, pulling out a to-do list. It wasn't very professional, but it made sure they didn't forget anything. Some of the other nurses had a tendency to do that when they were examining somebody such as Itachi. Not that she believed she would do so.

"Your file says you received an injury to your chest not too long ago. Has it fully healed without any complication?"

Of course it had. She'd been the one who'd healed him, but it was necessary to ask about the previous, serious injury. It had been a challenging mission, their first mission together. Against Akasuna no Sasori and Deidara, in fact. That was Itachi's last _serious_ injury that had been recorded.

"Yes."

She nodded once, ticking it off. "And do you have any complaints or concerns about your health?"

"No."

She found herself releasing a breath she hadn't even been aware of holding. But that didn't mean anything, really. Itachi, being the stubborn and proud man that he was, could possibly be withholding information to make the examination go by without any delays. By the end of the physical, Sakura was more than certain that she would have her answers.

"Do you smoke?"

"No."

"Drink? Excessively, at least."

"No."

"What is your diet like?"

"Healthy." At her disapproving stare, he added, "I refrain from eating foods with too much sodium and I eat my five-a-day."

Sakura refrained from smiling, biting it back. That last comment had been sarcastic, even if it sounded serious. "How often do you exercise?"

"Every day."

Another tick. "And are you sexually active?"

"No."

It took everything to hide her sudden blush, although she was certain it matched her hair in colour. "I guess… That ticks off the question about your sexual health, then," she murmured.

It was hard to believe that a man such as Uchiha Itachi, who could have any girl he wanted with the click of his fingers, was still a virgin. Though it was probably because of his clan, right? They were probably really strict about sleeping around before marriage, just like the Hyuuga Clan was. Hinata had been telling her when Sakura had inquired about it.

Vaccinations!

Thankful for the distraction, she turned to face him again. "You're due to have a few vaccinations."

"I suppose I am."

He didn't even seem fazed about the fact he'd just admitted to being a virgin. Most guys would have been embarrassed as hell, especially at Itachi's age, but he couldn't care less by the look on his face. He just seemed bored. Seriously, though… Nearly twenty-three and he'd never had sex…

Sakura shook the thoughts from her head and stood, distracting herself with preparing the vaccinations and the needles. Grabbing a metal tray, she placed each of them down before making her way over to him, placing it down by his side.

"Take your sweatshirt off." Once it was off, leaving him shirtless, Sakura then wiped down his arm, cleaning it. She reached for the first needle, next. "This is the flu vaccination," she informed him. "You may have a temperature along with aching muscles for a few days."

"I understand."

Most people flinched when receiving the flu vaccination, but Sakura wasn't surprised to find that Itachi wasn't one of them. The same went for the next few vaccinations, which were needed due to travelling to other countries and nations during missions. It protected them from foreign diseases and infections and all shinobi had to receive the vaccinations annually.

It only took a few minutes to go through the routine check-up. It included checking his blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate and temperature.

Grabbing the stethoscope from around her neck, Sakura placed the earbuds into her ears and the cool metal plate to his chest. There was the faintest of flinches, his muscles twitching in protest, and she scolded herself for forgetting to warn him about it being cold.

"Sorry," she apologised, but soon had other things to worry about.

Normally, in adults, they breathed between twelve and sixteen breaths a minute. Itachi, however, breathed eighteen breaths in a minute. Hiding her frown, she made a note of it. It would be imperative to keep an eye on it, as it could possibly suggest heart or lung problems. Her heart leapt in her chest at the reminder of the other Itachi's illness. Was this Itachi…?

Everything else about the routine check-up was normal and average, so all they could really do was keep an eye on his breathing, even though it aggravated her to admit it.

"Okay…" She smiled up at him and picked up a clean tongue depressor, easily tearing into the packaging and releasing it. "Say 'ah' for me."

Itachi opened his mouth for her, going as far as to lower himself slightly so that she could see clearly enough. The height difference never usually bothered her, but in that moment, it did, though she didn't show it.

"Itachi…"

He sighed. "_Ah."_

She smiled in thanks and placed the tongue depressor into his mouth, shining her small torch with the other hand.

Throat and tonsils seemed healthy enough and his teeth were… Well, to die for, to be blunt. Straight and white without any signs of build-up plaque or tar. Then again, Itachi had already told her that he didn't smoke. As well as that, his love for dango didn't show in his teeth. Lucky him.

His ears were in perfect condition, as were his sinuses, lymph nodes, thyroid and carotid arteries. His eyes, however, were a small cause for concern, but were easily dealt with.

"I'm just going to clean your eyes with my chakra," Sakura warned him and raised her hands, cupping the sides of his face. "There's a small build-up of chakra behind them – the only reason why I can see it and the other medics can't, is simply because I can _sense_ the chakra."

He nodded, accepting what had to be done. Once her chakra was being extracted and she was lowering her hands, Itachi asked, "What about Shisui?"

"Shisui?"

"He has the Mangekyō," he told her patiently, like he was merely reporting the weather. "Does that mean there will be a build-up of chakra for him, also?"

Sakura frowned. Why she'd never considered it before, she'd never know. The other Itachi's eyes were in a disgusting mess and she was willing to bet he could barely see a thing. It probably caused him a great amount of pain to even activate his Sharingan, but it would be the only way he could see.

"I'll look into it," she assured. "For now, however, you're my patient and my main concern."

Again, he nodded.

"Okay, if you'd just lay back…"

With only a short pause to allow Sakura to take away the tray with the used needles, Itachi did as he was told. She could feel his eyes on her as she disposed of the needles, but ignored him for the most part. It was only when she returned to him that she acknowledged his stare with the raising of her eyebrow.

No reply.

Rolling her eyes, she set about the next stage of the examination and checked his abdomen for the size of his liver and whatnot. It took longer than the first two stages, but Itachi was cooperative, much to her happiness, so it didn't take as long as it would with a patient such as Hatake Kakashi. That guy was constantly trying to sweet talk his way out of his examinations and effectively causing it to last so much longer.

Then, she did the neurological exam. It included checking his nerves, the strength of his muscles, reflexes and balance. Once that was over, Sakura had to ask him to remove his pants, for she moved onto the dermatological exam, meaning she had to check all skin and nails to make sure there were no problems or diseases.

There was no use in telling him to put them back on because soon enough, he would have to drop his underwear too. Just the thought nearly made her blush and Sakura found herself swallowing down the bubble of nervousness that threatened to show. She was a medic and it was important to remain professional and serious at all times. Otherwise, it would make the patient uncomfortable.

Still, she was going to see…

_Stop it!_

The extremities exam was just as long as the other two. It involved her checking for physical and sensory changes, as well as checking the pulse in his arms and legs. Examining the joints aided her in assessing for any abnormalities. Still, there was nothing to be found, much to her relief.

Also, he was more scarred than she would have thought. It didn't seem possible for somebody as strong as Uchiha Itachi to have any scars, because it was so damned difficult to actually get your hands on him, but there were quite a few. They were either fully healed, or on their way to fully healing. None of them were anything to worry about. Also, unlike the other Itachi's, his birthmark was still there and wasn't faded or altered (with the aid of surgery or chakra) in the least.

"How long have they been tailing you for, then?" she asked while going over her notes, making sure she'd jotted everything down.

Itachi sighed and for the first time since he entered her examination office, he showed an emotion: annoyance. "I awoke to find them in my kitchen."

Oh, that wasn't good. He was a man who preferred being in control and in charge. Uchiha Itachi needed to be the alpha. "They entered without permission?"

"My mother allowed them entry."

Ah.

She scratched the back of her neck and was glad that she'd decided on putting her hair up that morning. It was warm enough to cause a sweat if her hair had been down, though it was nowhere near as bad as the desert's heat. Thankfully, however, she'd left her bangs down, so they were capable of hiding her expression should she need them to.

"I didn't get to ask yesterday…" Sakura looked up apologetically. "How's your dad? I don't mean physically, either."

Again, he sighed. "Not well."

Sensing that Itachi didn't want to say much more about the subject, she looked down at her to-do list, only to inwardly whimper at what was next. No, she wasn't being childish. It was just that… Well…

"Please remove your underwear."

There was no hesitation. He merely stood up and removed them, folding them neatly just as he had with his other clothing before setting them down onto the pile.

And there he was…

Standing in her examination office in all his naked glory.

It was impossible _not_ to look, just like it was impossible _not_ to blush. Clearing her throat, Sakura turned, demanding herself to gain at least a small amount of composure. This… was not how she reacted to any of her other patients. Then again, it wasn't every day that she gave a physical exam. At most, she did routine check-ups, but not physicals.

In that moment, he didn't have an erection, though she knew there would be good few extra inches when he was. That wasn't what had her blushing, though. It was the muscles she could see, the ones that were defined and made her want to trail her fingers along them…

Green eyes went wide on her list.

_What?_

Composure. She needed composure. Turning once more, she offered him a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure you've been through all this before."

He nodded. "A few times."

"Well, it probably doesn't get any less uncomfortable," Sakura stated, again seeming apologetic. "I still need to be thorough, however. If at any point you feel like I'm being unprofessional, or I am making you more uncomfortable, please tell me."

Another nod.

Okay… First on the list was the testicular exam. She told him as much, so that he wasn't surprised when she moved forward and suddenly got stuck in. Sakura scolded herself for how she was wording her thoughts.

There were no reactions to her examination, but Sakura didn't look up to see his features. She could feel his eyes weren't on her, either and wondered if perhaps he _was_ uncomfortable with her being the one who was examining him. Perhaps she should have left it to the other nurse? Then again, she wanted to do it _too much_.

Certain that there were no lumps, Sakura asked, "Has there been any changes in size?"

"No."

"Tenderness?"

"No."

Before she released his testes, she shifted her hand slightly, tightening her hold, before nodding to herself. It had been to make sure he wasn't lying just to get it over with and once she released him, Sakura noticed how she wasn't the only one relax a little.

There was no time to relax fully, though.

Next was the penis examination.

Damn it, Sakura yelled at herself. It didn't affect her or make her bat an eyelash when it was any other man. Why was it so different with Itachi? Was it because she found him attractive? Was it because of the poke to the forehead? Or was it because of Izumi's words the night before?

After giving him the warning, she reached out. Hesitant at first, because no matter how many times she told herself to act more professional, Sakura still couldn't gather more strength to do so. She yelled at herself to be more serious, more professional, but couldn't deny the blush on her cheeks as her fingers grazed his length. Eventually, she managed to get on with the exam, holding him firmly yet carefully in her hand. So far, so good. There were no signs of any diseases or infections and-

Her heart stopped.

No big deal, Sakura told herself, willing to slow the fast beating of her heart. It wasn't exactly unheard of to happen at this point in the examination and it had happened several times before. It was only natural, especially if he'd been telling the truth about still being a virgin. Not too long ago, when they were still on the same team, Naruto had crassly yelled out, when he himself had gotten one, that a guy could get an erection over the wind blowing the wrong way.

Still…

Itachi's breathing was even, but she could pick up on the increased pace of his heart. It was nowhere near as fast as her own, though still noticeably different. He was forcing his breathing to remain steady, then. Trying to remain indifferent. It would be best not to, but Sakura found herself stealing a glance at his expression, only to quickly look away when she saw that he was already watching her with intense, dark eyes. They felt like they were burning a hole straight through her.

It would be best to continue it as quickly as possible. So, with his now erect penis in her hands, Sakura pushed back the foreskin, checking for any warts or ulcers, trying to ignore the slight hitch in his breathing as she did so. His hands were on the bed once more, clutching it and it was only at that moment that she noticed the whiteness of his knuckles, easily giving away how tightly he was holding onto the bed.

Lifting up the penis (though not really needing to, as it now stood upright by itself if she removed her hand, touching his stomach), she inspected the area below. He didn't shave like some of the other men did and Sakura found that she preferred the sight. For some reason the idea of a man having no pubic hair just seemed unappealing to her. Like she'd previously thought, too: there _was_ a good few added inches to his length when he was hard.

"All done. Nothing out of the ordinary." She wasn't sure who seemed more relieved. Herself or Itachi. Again, she ticked off the boxes. "Now…"

He already had an idea. It was obvious from the vaguely displeased look on his face. Still, it had to be done and so Sakura didn't waste time in grabbing a clean glove and the lubricant, making sure there was plenty on her finger.

It was time to check his prostate.

* * *

"You look like you've just been to war."

Sakura sighed and entered her shishou's office fully, trying her best to ignore the strong stench of sake. "Just a physical exam."

There must have been a certain emotion on her face or a tone in her voice, because Tsunade was suddenly laughing loudly, regardless of her earlier hangover. She must have had some painkillers, then. That or she'd hit the bottle already, which wasn't really unheard of if it was a bad day for her.

"Shishou, it's not funny…"

"Oh, but it is." She continued to laugh, though was thankfully calming down. "I've never seen you react like this to a physical. Let me guess: the man was attractive."

"Worse." Sakura threw herself into a spare chair and hid her face. "It was Itachi."

The previous fading laughter increased and grew in volume. "I get the picture of what must have happened then."

Deciding that they shouldn't discuss it any further, she held out the file that was now on her lap, sighing. Not only should they stop talking about it because it was confidential, but also because Sakura was certain she wasn't ready to do so just yet. Having to check Itachi's penis had been bad enough, but then his _prostate…_

"What's this?" Tsunade sobered up and accepted the file, frowning at the name. "I've heard of her. A kunoichi, right?"

Sakura sighed again. "Yes. She wants to be sterilised."

"Sterilised?" she repeated, startled as she flicked through the pages. "But she's completely healthy."

She nodded, a grim look on her face. "Akino-san wishes to have no distractions on missions, or to have anything that could be more important than a mission."

The file was thrown onto the desk like Tsunade had been burned and her expression was one of disgust and anger. However, no matter how she felt about it, she then sighed and gave a reluctant nod. "Have her go through the necessary procedures. If all goes well, she can have the operation."

Sheer disbelief washed over her. "Shishou!"

"Do not get emotionally involved with the patients, Sakura," Tsunade snapped. "This is Akino's decision. Not yours."

"But…"

"Sakura!" Anger showed on her features. "Do not make me repeat myself."

Despite wanting nothing more than to yell right back at her, to demand to know what the hell was going through Tsunade's head to agree to such a thing, Sakura remained silent, holding her rage back and nodding once.

"I understand if you don't want to be the one in charge of this," Tsunade stated seriously, her anger still present. "And if that is the case, say so now and I will be the one who will take care of it."

How was she supposed to agree to something like that, though? The woman was willingly giving up her chance of doing something all women should be able to do: give life. Not every woman was able to do so and it broke Sakura's heart that Akino didn't care or have any empathy for them.

"No, that won't be necessary," muttered Sakura.

Even so, to have her patient pushed onto someone else simply because she didn't agree with it, was pathetic and unprofessional of her. Akino had mentioned donating her ovaries, which were perfectly healthy, to a woman who couldn't have babies. It would be almost like surrogacy, except Akino wouldn't be giving her ovaries to someone in hopes of having a child for herself. Then again, it all depended on the other woman's body. The other woman could either be too old, or her body could be too small to handle a pregnancy. Sakura often got the feeling that hers was the latter, since she had fairly small hips compared to other women.

Either way, Akino was her patient. If she passed the tests and examinations, then there truly was no way of preventing such a procedure. It was better to have it done at a hospital, where it was a clean and sterile environment, than out on a dark alley by some nut job with a shaky hand.

"I'll do it."

* * *

It was safe to say that she was in a bad mood. Others seemed to sense it, as they avoided meeting her eyes and went out of their way to avoid crossing paths with her. Almost like they were all giving her a wide berth. She didn't care.

Her anger with not only Akino, but also Tsunade, had easily overshadowed her embarrassment of giving Itachi his annual psychical. The fact that her examination of his penis had given him an erection was blown straight out of her mind, for she was too focused on how selfish Akino's actions were.

Sakura had seen women self-destruct after receiving the news of being infertile, either drinking themselves into an early grave, or becoming so numb that they simply didn't care what happened around them. She'd had women breaking down in her office, unable to so much as take a deep breath to calm down, because of the unbearable, crushing pain that was settled on them.

Fists clenching and teeth gritting, Sakura stomped in the direction of the training grounds. It was impossible keeping calm. It was impossible hiding her emotions behind a blank mask and in that moment, she wished for her ANBU mask. She wished for the anonymity it gave to her. She wished for the strength it brought her.

The sound of yelling caught her attention, forcing her to glance over her shoulder, but all of her previous anger evaporated as she caught sight of what was going on.

"_Help! Thief!"_

He was running in her direction with an elderly woman's handbag tucked tightly to his chest. The boy looked around fourteen or fifteen, with dark hair, light eyes and tanned skin. Nothing about him made him appear as homeless or poor, meaning he was probably a thug who got off on making other's lives a misery.

It wouldn't do to destroy the ground, even though her foot itched to slam into it.

Instead Sakura merely turned fully until she was facing him, folding her arms over her chest and standing in his way. Apparently he didn't know who she was, because he tried running through her like she was nothing more than a pushover.

When he bounced backwards (she'd secretly sent chakra to her feet to keep herself standing after the collision) and onto the ground, she raised an eyebrow. Just as quickly he was on his feet once more, glaring at her hatefully. Around them, civilians gathered, murmuring among one another worriedly. They clearly knew who she was.

"You're just a kid, so I'll go easy on you," Sakura murmured to the thief, continuing to block his exit. "Now, go down nice and easy!"

At her order, he fled in the other direction, but she was faster and appeared in front of him, barely budging an inch as he ran straight into her a second time. Grabbing his arm, she twisted it, forcing him to kneel before soon enough keeping him flat on the ground, her boot on his back and his face pressed into the dirt. His arm was twisted at a painful, awkward angle, promising to snap in half should he try to move and his saliva coated the ground beneath his mouth. Perhaps she'd been a bit too rough? It seemed he was winded.

All around her, cheers erupted along with thanks. Sakura ignored them and tried her best to see through her curtain of hair, since both her hands were busy. Earlier, leaving her bangs down had seemed like a good idea, but now it was just annoying.

"Someone contact Uchiha headquarters."

"That won't be necessary."

She looked in front of herself and smiled gratefully at Obito's presence. By his side was none other than Shisui. The sight momentarily surprised her, as she hadn't thought the two were all that close. Apparently Shisui didn't have the same beliefs as the rest of the Uchiha, though. He seemed comfortable enough in Obito's presence.

"Thank you for stopping him, Sakura," Shisui said and stepped through the crowd.

At the feeling of the thief going limp in her hold, she realised Shisui had placed a genjutsu on the guy, so released him without a care and stood up straight. Collecting the bag that he had stolen, Sakura turned and surveyed the crowd. Where was the old lady?

Ah, there.

Smiling warmly, she handed it over, though stated apologetically, "I'm sorry about the handle snapping."

She only shook her head. "No, no. It wasn't your fault, dear. I held on as tightly as I could, but it snapped in my hand."

"If you go to a repairer to get it repaired, have it put under my name," Obito told her with a smile. "I'll pay for it to be fixed."

"You'd really do that?" she asked, stunned and sounding breathless.

"Of course." Walking over to them, he offered her his elbow. "Come, I'll walk you home."

"Oh my! It's been a while since a handsome young man walked me home." She giggled, though slipped her arm through his. "Thank you very much."

Sakura could only shake her head in amused disbelief as they walked away arm in arm, with Obito chatting away easily and asking the old lady about her life and what her name was, or whether she needed any shopping. According to Kakashi, he'd always been that way and it was something she admired greatly.

Turning, she regarded Shisui. "Can you manage him?"

He nodded once and proved his point by throwing the thief over his shoulder. "I'll take him to headquarters now. Thank you again for subduing him."

She smiled. "I was in a bad mood, anyway. Saves me taking it on Naruto, right?"

Shisui chuckled once. "I suppose so." He began walking away, though called over his shoulder, "I will come and find you later, Sakura."

His words made her heart stop.

It had been long enough for him to gather information and listen in on enough conversations to understand how the other Uchiha clansmen were feeling.

_Shit!_

* * *

She'd missed training by ten minutes, only turning up just as they finished and were in need of somebody to take their aches and pains away. Sighing, Sakura set to it, not for the first time lecturing them as she did so.

Fortunately for her, Naruto brought up how hungry he was and so they headed to Ichiraku for dinner. Not only was it a good idea because she was _starving_, but also because it meant she still had the chance to spend time with her boys, despite the fact Sasuke was silent and Naruto was the one doing all the talking.

It felt like old times as they ate together. Naruto was too busy eating to hold much of a conversation once the food was put in front of him, Sasuke was silent and brooding and she was happy to simply sit in their presence once more, happy that that ever present loneliness eased up.

"I spoke to my dad," Naruto told them over his mouthful of food. "You know, about that illness?"

Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, inwardly wincing and wondering just how much trouble she would be in with the Hokage. No, forget Minato. How much trouble was she in with Kushina?

"He told me everything," he went on to say. "Apparently I kept having seizures and nobody knew why, but my body couldn't handle it or something." Yes, the other Itachi had told her that. "But then, like somebody was watching over us, my mom lost control of the Kyuubi – remember, she had all of him, instead of just half. The seal was weakened because of childbirth, or something."

There he was again. Talking about the Kyuubi like it was an old friend. It annoyed her because of how vicious that thing was. How many people had it killed? How many lives had it ruined? In her eyes, the Kyuubi would always be a monster and nothing would ever change that.

"Anyway." Shoving more ramen into his mouth, he swallowed and then said, "So my dad had this idea, right. He decided to put half of the Kyuubi inside me, because it would heal me or something and then save my mom by putting half inside of her, too."

Again, she already knew the story, but pretended to be in awe anyway for the sake of keeping the other Itachi a secret. It would be suspicious if it seemed like she wasn't surprised. "Wow, really?" she gasped, eyes widening. "Do you think your mom knew it would happen?"

Naruto actually paused in his eating, seriously considering the fact, when in actuality, Sakura knew why the Kyuubi had really been released that night. "I never thought about that," he exclaimed, his own eyes widening. "Do you think she really did that for me, Sakura-chan?"

Oh, damn. Now she felt horrible for putting the idea into his head, especially since it wasn't true. "Who knows? It's obvious Kushina-sama loves you more than her own life."

He then frowned. "What's with the 'sama', Sakura-chan? You never used to call her that before."

"Don't start, Naruto." She sighed and turned back to her food. "It's respectful."

"Yeah but you're like-"

"She said _stop_, Naruto," Sasuke all but growled.

Sakura looked to her left and frowned softly. The boy beside her was completely tense, his grip on his chopsticks close to snapping them in half and he clenched his jaw. Was he still angry with Minato? Did he still believe it was him who stole his father's eyes?

"I saw Itachi earlier," Sakura told him, trying to ease his tension. "He was trying to run away from his new guards."

His dark eyes widened a fraction, the news stunning him enough to crack that anger. "H-He…?"

She giggled and covered her mouth. "Yeah, apparently they've been shadowing him all day."

Sasuke ducked his head, his hair shielding his eyes, but she could see the amused smile on his lips at the thought of his brother pulling a Kakashi.

"Say, Sakura-chan…" She glanced at the blond. "Do you think you can come on a mission with us any time soon?"

The Uchiha's anger returned. "I've already told you-"

"Now isn't the right time, Naruto." She smiled apologetically. "Fugaku-sama needs Sasuke-kun right now, even if he won't admit it. Also… Itachi needs Sasuke-kun, too. It won't be easy for him transitioning into his new role."

That seemed to brighten him up once more and she could almost visibly see her words chipping at his anger, breaking it down until it was nothing.

* * *

It was much later when Shisui finally came to find her. In fact, it was way into the evening, close to nine o'clock.

The sun had set a while ago and the sky was darkening, the stars slowly but surely making themselves known and on the ground, the venders had long since packed away their stalls, calling it a day when the market became less busy. It wasn't exactly appropriate for a grown man to visit a woman's house at such an hour and should anybody see them, they would assume the worst, but Sakura knew that they had no other choice. It was as private as it would get for them.

"Forgive me for calling so late."

She stepped aside and shook her head, allowing him entry. "Now's as good a time as any."

He must have agreed, because Shisui didn't apologise again or show any remorse. He simply entered the apartment, removed his sandals and stood in the centre of her living room, sighing. "It isn't looking good."

Like earlier in the day, her heart sunk. "How bad?"

"They believe the same thing as Sasuke."

"They're blaming Hokage-sama." Pressing a hand to her forehead, Sakura sat down on her sofa. "What does this mean? Will they try anything like…?"

Like in the other Itachi's timeline.

In that moment, Shisui expressed his own concern and uncertainty. "It's a possibility. If they find even the smallest piece of evidence that suggests it was Hokage-sama, they will attack without thought and demand retribution."

"But there won't _be_ any evidence," she argued hotly. "We know who it really was."

"Exactly." Sitting down beside her, in the same spot Itachi had been sat in just yesterday, he sighed. "But that won't stop them from fabricating evidence. Some Uchiha are too proud, Sakura, to the point where it is their downfall. Their pride will not allow them to let this go, even if it means punishing someone who is innocent."

Fabricating evidence… It was awful! Basically put, they would frame Minato if it really came down to it. If they couldn't find any evidence at all, they would forge some and drop their own Hokage in it. "Surely there's some way of stopping it?" she questioned in a whisper, her hope shattering at his expression. "We can't let that happen."

"There isn't much else that we can do," he told her bluntly. "It is the lesser of two evils, Sakura. Either Hokage-sama is blamed, or the other timeline's Itachi is found out. There is no telling how that will affect our universe, especially if both this Itachi and that Itachi come into contact."

Come to think of it, that had never happened before. Each and every time, the other Itachi made sure to be gone and out of sight, leaving nothing behind. She supposed their Itachi never picked up on his chakra signature because it was so similar to his own, pretty much exactly the same, meaning it didn't stand out to him. What would happen if they did come into contact with one another?

They couldn't allow Minato to take the blame, though. It wasn't fair and there was no telling who would be dragged into his so-called punishment. They could target Naruto or Kushina and Sakura knew she would never _ever_ forgive herself if either of those things happened.

"Then we'll create false leads," Sakura offered, her expression helpless yet somehow determined at the same time. "Send them on a wild goose chase-"

"It won't work."

"How do you know?"

"For starters, the suspicion is already there," Shisui muttered, running a hand through his wild, wavy hair and sitting back into the sofa. "It won't take long to-"

A knock on her door had her sighing with annoyance and scrambling to her feet. The sound of the knock had been at the same time as Shisui's sentence and had faded in volume towards the end of it, confusing her. Just in case it was that bratty thief from earlier or one of his friends (since she knew he was thrown in a cell and would demand revenge eventually) trying to prank her, she rushed to the door, yanking it open.

But was utterly stunned to see Itachi standing opposite her.

She breathed out a shaky sigh, eyes going wide at the sight of him. "Itachi, what're you doing here?"

"I wanted to speak with you about something," he murmured, a minute frown pulling at his features. He wasn't looking at her. Instead, it looked as though Itachi was trying to see through the door. "It seems you are not alone, however."

Suspicion.

It made her stomach drop.

Of course he would be suspicious. It was late into the evening now and wasn't appropriate for a man to be dropping by a woman's home, unless they had specific… intentions.

Damn it!

"Wait, Itachi-"

His hand lifted, easily pushing the door from out of her hold and she could _see_ his guards coming up around himself. She watched helplessly as his eyes drunk in the sight of his best friend lounging back on her sofa, of his sandals placed beside hers at the door. If Itachi had managed to catch the end of their conversation, too…

She was betting he had, since his knock had trailed off towards the end.

"_It won't work."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_For starters, the suspicion is already there," Shisui muttered, running a hand through his wild, wavy hair and sitting back into the sofa. "It won't take long to-"_

He'd misunderstood their conversation and she couldn't even blame him for it, considering the circumstances. Considering the fact that she'd been speaking with a defeated, whiny voice, like everything and everyone was against her. She could see it in his usually empty and cold eyes that he'd misunderstood and she couldn't even tell him the truth, not without telling him about the other Itachi.

"Forgive me." Dark eyes came back to hers and once again, they were empty and guarded. They were cold. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

_No…_

"Wait, Itachi-"

Standing, Shisui frowned, suddenly catching on. "It's not what you think, Itachi."

"She is too young for you." It sounded like he was quoting something. Maybe it was a conversation he'd previously had with the older Uchiha? "She is not your type."

Sakura had thought that the next time she saw Itachi, she would have been embarrassed due to their earlier situation, but all she could feel at that moment in time was pure horror and mortification. It felt like she was being thrown straight back to square one.

"An excuse to try and eradicate the suspicion that was already there." Itachi turned and began to walk away. "You have always been one step ahead, Shisui."

She was right behind him, leaving her door to swing open and bang against the wall as she chased Itachi. "Wait!"

He ignored her.

"What happened to not shouting at me?" she tried.

"I am not shouting."

When he turned towards the stairs and began to descend them, Sakura came to a stop at the top, frowning. "But you're still angry."

Silence, although he stopped halfway down the stairs.

"You jumped to conclusions last time and it's what you're doing now."

"Then stop giving me reasons to jump to them," came his cold reply.

All Sakura could do was stare after him as Itachi continued to walk away, her hand coming up to her neck and rubbing at it harshly, trying to ignore the burning sensation in her eyes.

Reluctantly, she returned to her apartment, dragging her bare feet behind her as she sighed and met Shisui's eyes.

"It's for the best, Sakura," he told her quietly. "It would have been a lot worse had he heard our entire conversation."

That was true, but…

_Why was her heart aching so much?_


	29. The Vengeful Uchiha

**Chapter 29**

**The Vengeful Uchiha**

* * *

Over the following week, Sakura didn't see Itachi for longer than a second at a time. Either she was swamped with work at the hospital, or he was surrounded by clan elders.

They would always meet each other's eye and in that brief second, she always did her best to convey her emotions to him, to tell him that it was all a misunderstanding and he needed to hear her out. Either he didn't catch on or simply didn't care, because Itachi never came looking for her afterwards.

She didn't even care if he came to her apartment with impure intentions that night a week ago. What Sakura cared about was the fact that her relationship with him was once more being trampled on – and by her own doing.

Of course having a grown man over at your apartment, late into the evening, wasn't going to look good. The fact that it happened to be Itachi's best friend, the very same guy she'd been rumoured to have 'a thing' with, made it so much worse. She couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through his head and it crushed her on the inside.

Sat down at her desk with a pile of paperwork to sort through, Sakura sighed. It felt like such a waste of a beautiful day being cooped up in her small office, doing paperwork of all things, while everyone else was outside and enjoying the weather and enjoying life.

At least she got to spend more time with her boys over the past week, she supposed. She'd seen more of them in the last week than she had since joining ANBU. According to Shisui, it would be a couple of weeks, possibly even a month, until their next mission. Minato wanted to wait until Itachi officially became patriarch before finalising anything.

However, Shisui also told her that it was taking so long because Itachi was being difficult. The elders wished for him to marry before becoming patriarch and had even presented him with a line of women to choose from. They had literally lined a group of women up for him and Itachi replied by walking out, ordering them to quit wasting his time. He was adamant about being a patriarch without a matriarch. In his eyes, he didn't need anyone by his side to help ease the burden of ruling a clan. Sure, in a way, Sakura could understand what he meant. With a single look Itachi was capable of silencing _anyone_. But at the end of the day, running an entire clan – the Uchiha, especially – was going to be taxing.

She ran a hand through her hair before settling on putting it up.

Working nonstop, without a single day to rest and on top of finding time for her friends and family for the past week, made her ache all over. It was certainly better than moping around with nothing to do, though. More productive, too.

On top of everything else that was happening, Akino had yet to confirm her first of many appointments, though Tsunade had managed to weasel the woman's whereabouts out of Minato. Apparently she was currently away on a mission and wouldn't be back for another month at the very least. That was one less thing to worry about, she guessed.

So much for a break between missions, Sakura thought bitterly, but soon sighed and pushed the bitterness away. She was only feeling that way now because of her problems with Itachi and she had nobody to blame but herself. Instead of bitching, she picked up her files and headed towards her examination room, prepared to get a head start on her day.

* * *

They each fell back onto the ground, breathing harshly and willing the aches and pains away. Neither could deny that it felt good, in an odd way, though. It proved that they had worked hard, that they had trained hard and made progress by pushing their bodies to their limits.

Grass tickled her cheeks, a clear indication that somebody needed to cut it, but since these were the training grounds, they didn't truly bother until it became an unmanageable height. Somewhere in the background she could hear a river gushing along with the breeze, though was surprised she could even hear a thing over their heavy breathing.

Tilting her head to the side and swallowing in an effort to calm her racing heart and aching lungs, Sakura regarded Sasuke. The last time they had sparred, she hadn't lasted five minutes against him. As soon as he activated his sharingan, it was all over, each and every time. This time, however, she'd lasted until the very end, surprising both men with her improved stamina and power. Not just strength, but _power_.

Then, she glanced to Naruto, returning his bright grin. Never before had he smiled such a proud smile in her direction and it had something warm blossoming in her chest. He was proud of her growth, even if it was through ANBU that she gained her leap in power.

"Wow, Sakura-chan," he complimented breathlessly.

Wow, indeed. Their spar had felt so relieving and so rewarding. Normally, in the past, Sakura had dreaded their spars, because she knew that within minutes, she would be out and left to watch from the side lines, waiting to heal them. But now they no longer left her behind. She could fight with them, side by side, while also watching their backs and healing their injuries.

"Itachi was right," Sasuke muttered, though kept his eyes off them. "You have a lot of potential."

She couldn't help but frown at him. "He didn't mean it when he said you were both holding-"

"Yes, he did." The Uchiha shook his head and appeared vaguely annoyed that she would even attempt to lie to him. "And it's true. We _were_. Itachi allowed you the chance to get involved with missions, instead of holding you back in case you got hurt."

Above them, a bird called out loudly, distracting her momentarily as she immediately placed the sound. It belonged to a crow. The bird was flying high above their heads, flying in a circle and at the sight of it, Sasuke sighed.

"Itachi is summoning me."

Wait, that was actually one of Itachi's crows? Her heart skipped a beat. "How's he been lately?"

As he was pulling himself to his feet, he paused and there was another sigh. "Stressed." Brushing his hands down his clothes, Sasuke glanced up at the crow as it let out another caw. "The elders are trying to pressure him into doing a lot of things and he keeps fighting them. It's only so long until his patience snaps, though." He offered a small, lazy smirk. "I just hope I have front row seats when it happens."

Green eyes went wide and despite the pain she was in, Sakura sat up, staring at her best friend in disbelief. "Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto laughed loudly, hands coming to rest beneath his head. "Make sure to show me with your sharingan after it happens."

Instead of yelling at them both, she merely shook her head and chuckled once, rubbing her forehead. "You're both awful people."

"Yeah, but you love us." Naruto grinned brightly.

Yes, she supposed she did. Her eyes warmed on the pair as they continued their conversation for only a few minutes longer before the crow called out a final time. It looked ready to dive at Sasuke, making the Uchiha's upper lip curl as he muttered something about an impatient asshole. Then, he left them.

Sakura focused entirely on Naruto when he sighed, his gaze becoming troubled and it upset her. He was one of those types of people who was always smiling, who always found the good in a bad situation. The thought of him putting up a front hurt her.

"Sakura-chan?"

She frowned. Now that Sasuke was gone, his voice was lower and more serious. Almost sad, in a way. "Yeah?"

"Do you think they all blame my dad?"

_For the attack on Uchiha Fugaku._

It wouldn't do to lie to him. Already, she'd done so much lying and it pained her. "Not all, but some do. The ones who are thinking rationally know that Hokage-sama would never do something like that. Those who are thinking completely with their anger, however, can only see hatred."

Like she had, Naruto frowned. It seemed he'd given up with correcting her on his father's title and what she should call him. "Do you think Sasuke still blames him?"

Honestly, there was no way of knowing. Sasuke had the ability of being so closed off from them, but at the same time, allowed them to believe he was letting them in, if only to ease their worry. The thought and reminder of what had happened to his father would obviously not leave him any time soon. Knowing Sasuke, even if it was only by the smallest amount, then Sakura was willing to bet that he would brood on it for a while. He would sit back and evaluate the situation before making a move.

That worried her, too.

Sasuke had always had a bad temper and he was a classic overthinker.

"I'm not sure," Sakura replied honestly and bit her lip. "Have you spoken to Hokage-sama about it?"

Naruto nodded and removed a hand from behind his head, running it over his face tiredly. Unknowingly, he smeared the dirt and blood across his face, making his appearance even dirtier. "He said he'll accept whatever happens."

It would do no good to outright deny that he was behind the attack, but it would also do no good to _not_ rebuff the notion, either. Anything could happen in his time of 'accepting whatever happened' and to make matters even worse, her team was currently off the mission rota until Shisui had officially been made their captain.

He couldn't do that until he had helped Itachi transition into his new role, however.

Sakura wondered how that was going. Was Itachi still angry with Shisui? Would he refuse his help? Something nagged at her, telling her that he wasn't that childish or petty, but at the same time, she reminded herself that he had been stung for the second time. By his own assumptions, of course, but this time, she and Shisui hadn't been able to deny them.

There was no plausible reason as to why he would be at her apartment so late at night, other than to spend the night with her, and it wasn't like they could just tell him the truth, either. For one, Itachi probably wouldn't even believe them and two, there was no telling what would happen if he learned of the other Itachi's existence.

Then again, she knew of her other self's existence and she didn't feel any different. But, she hadn't actually met her. Hadn't even been shown the past between her other self and Itachi. There was a reason behind that, despite how annoying it was. The Itachi of the other timeline wanted her relationship with her Itachi to develop naturally and without being forced in any way.

"Sakura-chan?"

She hummed softly, unaware that she'd gotten so lost in her own thoughts. It was careless of her, especially as of late. The stress of so many different things was bound to get on top of her at some point and Sakura knew she had to prepare herself for that. There were too many secrets stored away in her head and not one of them could be shared.

When there was only silence, she tilted her head to the side, wrinkling her nose as a blade of grass tickled it.

Naruto was frowning up at the sky, his usually bright, open eyes shadowed by his brows. It managed to darken his entire face and the sight was an unpleasant one to her.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to admit it because of where you gained those skills, but…" His frown deepened before smoothing out into a small smile. "I'm proud of you."

He was… Her heart skipped a beat at his words and a hesitant smile pulled at her lips. "You're proud of me?"

Naruto nodded. "Definitely. Didn't you see yourself, Sakura-chan? Not just now, but on our mission with Gaara, too." The blond grinned, his eyes lighting with happiness. "You were so confident. I've _never_ seen you so sure of yourself or your decisions." Nervous green eyes shifted, deciding that the sky was more interesting when he looked at her. "And I felt so proud of you for that. I'm happy for you."

Sakura had a feeling that there was a 'but' about to-

"But…"

_There you go._

"But?" she repeated softly.

There was a deep sigh and out of the corner of her eye, she saw his chest expand greatly. "But you're so withdrawn now."

Yes, she supposed she was, but Sakura had admitted and come to terms with that out in the desert.

A heavy weight settled itself within her chest and she breathed in as deeply as possible without attracting too much attention to the gesture. The weight made the corners of her lips turn downwards and threatened to make her breathing shaky, her vision blurred, but Sakura fought off the effects as hard as she could. Now was not the time.

Part of herself was once again yearning for the ANBU mask hidden within a scroll in her wardrobe, bathed within several layers of powerful genjutsu. If somebody happened to stumble across the genjutsu, it would appear as nothing but a blank space. If they sensed the genjutsu, then it would appear as a stripper's outfit (something Sakura would be determined on hiding, as she found the thought of such a thing horrifying).

With her mask, she was safe. Nobody could tell what sort of expression she was wearing or how she was feeling. There could be tears streaming down her face, or she could be close to ripping her lip off from how badly she was biting it and they wouldn't know. Every expression, every emotion, was guarded and masked and it comforted Sakura, for she had never been too great with hiding such things.

"We used to be close."

"We still can be," she argued quietly.

But Naruto shook his head and Sakura heard his fists clenching. "No we can't. Not now that you're a part of ANBU." Again, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him tilt his head to the side and felt his watchful gaze on her face. "Something bad could happen to you, Sakura-chan. Something really bad and you wouldn't even be allowed to tell me so I can try and help you."

Something else she already knew.

There was every chance that she would be sent out on a mission without a team and without backup – it was a mission she'd accept reluctantly, though wouldn't let the reluctance show.

Her ultimate worst fear was definitely dying alone while out on a mission. If something happened out there and she had no backup, then it would take days for her village to find her and by then, nature would have done its job. Nobody would ever know what happened to her. Her loved ones would be left without closure, constantly fearing the worst. Most of all, however, Sakura would spend the last moments of her life experiencing something that terrified her to the bone.

Solitude.

It wasn't worth thinking about.

"What are you saying?" Sakura asked with a sigh of impatience. "That you want me to retire from ANBU?"

In an instant, Naruto was sitting up, staring down at her with wide, horrified eyes. "No!"

"Then what? I don't see where else this conversation is heading to."

"I just want you to promise me you'll be careful."

After a brief pause, she also sat up and ran a hand through her hair, tousling it and brushing it all back. It fell forward once more as soon as her hand fell to the grass, covering her eyes. Regret pooled in her stomach. She should have put her forehead protector on, after all.

"You know I can't promise that," replied Sakura. Her voice was barely any louder than a whisper. "ANBU is-"

"I mean don't self-destruct like the others do," Naruto said seriously, uncaringly cutting her off. "When things get bad or bad things happen to them. I've heard loads about what goes on, Sakura-chan. Mom was so angry with Dad when she found out he'd promoted you to ANBU. As soon as we got home, she made him sleep on the sofa and refused to speak to him."

Oh, the silent rage was the scariest, if Sakura was being completely honest. Everyone expected Kushina to explode with her fury, but it was when she was quiet that you really needed to worry. It meant she was plotting and overthinking the situation and that was _never_ a good combination, especially for somebody as hot-headed as Kushina.

Again, however, like it had with Naruto and Sasuke, it saddened her that they were blaming others for _her_ decision. Why were they unable to understand that Itachi had merely suggested that she be promoted? Why couldn't they comprehend the idea of Minato offering her a position, not forcing her into it? Sakura had been given every chance to say no, or to change her mind, right up until receiving her tattoo.

But Itachi had been right: not using her skills in such a way was a waste. It was beneficial to the village, and to herself, that she joined ANBU. The growth in her power was more than just surprising, it was astonishing and it left her breathless when Sakura compared herself to where she'd been a year ago. For the first time in… well, ever, she felt proud of herself for her accomplishments.

"Don't you regret it?"

Her answer was swift and simple. It was to the point and blunt and she didn't even need to think about it. "No."

And it was the truth.

* * *

It was much later on into the day when Sakura next saw Itachi.

In the middle of the market, without another Uchiha in sight and seemingly keeping a low profile as he slowly ate his dango, savouring the taste that exploded on his tongue. She paused for a while, wondering if what she was about to do was really such a good idea. They were in public, after all and he seemed so peaceful that she didn't want to destroy the moment of freedom for him. However, the ache in her heart forced her to move forward.

"Itachi."

There was a soft sigh and he shut his eyes. "Sakura."

Once again, Sakura hesitated. The acknowledgement had been spoken coolly, like Itachi was annoyed that his peace was being shattered so soon. How long had he managed to escape for? How long had he been alone for?

Eyeing the people around them, she also sighed and then sat down opposite him. His dark eyes opened in response, regarding her silently.

"You've been avoiding me," she accused.

The stick he was using to stab into the dango was lowered until it was resting on the plate. Then, Itachi wiped his hands, even though Sakura was certain they weren't dirty. "I would rather not have this discussion."

"Well I think it's necessary." It was a fair argument in her eyes. "You didn't give me the chance to tell you why Shisui was at my apartment."

"I don't want to know."

Annoyed, she looked away and bit her lip.

Another sigh. "What is happening between yourself and Shisui is none of my concern," Itachi told her simply. "I merely-"

"There's nothing going on," she snapped at him harshly, eyes snapping back to his with a glare. "If you had let me explain instead of running away, then you-"

"This conversation is over."

Just as Itachi was about to stand, her feet shot under the table and her legs wrapped around his, forcing him to remain seated unless he wished for their physical interaction to gain attention. The white cover on the table was hiding what would probably be deemed as an intimate gesture and she knew that, while in the sensitive transition of becoming patriarch, Itachi would not do anything to tarnish his reputation.

The look in his usually empty eyes made it perfectly clear that he was losing his patience with her, but Sakura found that she didn't care in the least.

"Stay sat down," she ordered in a much stronger voice. It was stronger than she felt. "We're going to talk about this whether you like it or not."

Due to the table being so small, their knees had previously been brushing together, which was how she knew she'd be able to wrap her legs around his so easily and without straining herself. It was an awkward and uncomfortable position, but it was also necessary, apparently.

"There is nothing to discuss-"

"If it was nothing then you wouldn't be avoiding me."

"I am busy."

Her eyes glanced downwards, staring pointedly at the dango and Sakura raised an eyebrow once she met his gaze again. "I can tell."

Itachi sat back in his seat, seemingly annoyed and reluctantly accepting her words, though she could see the slight blush that was sweeping across his cheeks. The sight made her smile softly, losing a fraction of her anger.

"Look, Itachi…" Sakura sighed deeply. "Shisui was… Well, he was…"

The annoyance strengthened in his expression.

Nervousness clawed at her, forcing her to stutter and grow flustered and she frowned. "We're Hokage-sama's personal ANBU, right? He picked us personally to protect the village." After a tense moment, he nodded. "Shisui was surveying the reaction about the attack on your father." She gazed down at the plate of dango, both hating herself for lying but being so proud of herself for doing it so well for once. Then again, it wasn't a total lie. "We were going to try and dissipate the tension together."

When she looked back at him, the annoyance was no longer there, but neither was any other expression and for a split second, Sakura was petrified. She was scared that she had landed Shisui in serious trouble with the soon-to-be patriarch of the clan. But then the hardness in his eyes cracked.

"They are not responding well," he informed her without hesitation.

"You've been watching them, too?" she asked in surprise.

"Of course. I am Konoha's Uchiha Itachi." The exhaustion he was experiencing was painfully obvious, however. It wasn't only a physical tiredness, but it seemed to run bone deep, like he was mentally and emotionally drained, too. "It is my duty to protect the village, even if it is from my own clan."

Slowly, after watching him suspiciously for a second, Sakura released her hold on his legs and she noticed how he relaxed when she did so. Itachi stretched his legs out momentarily and she felt them brushing against hers, making her feel bad, as she knew it was an uncomfortable position to say the least. It made the muscles cramp if it was kept up for too long.

Then she smiled and reached out, swiftly stealing the stick and stabbing a ball of dango, popping it into her mouth as her smile became sly. He was helpless and Itachi could do nothing more than watch her in stunned disbelief.

"So," she asked after swallowing the dango, "what happens-"

A sudden presence to her left had her clamping her mouth shut and green eyes narrowed, but Sakura soon relaxed at the sight of the somewhat familiar genin. If she wasn't mistaken, then this was the guy who ran around doing errands for the Hokage. He was a middle-aged man who was forever stuck at the genin rank, if the rumours were true.

"Haruno-san," he greeted before telling her, "Hokage-sama would like to see you."

She swallowed hard. It was because of what she had told Naruto, wasn't it? Oh, Gods she must-

"He has a mission for you."

The relief was definitely welcome and she reached for it with open arms, so very grateful for the fact that she wasn't in trouble with Naruto's parents.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "I'll be there shortly."

The genin nodded once and turned, leaving without another word and at his exit, Sakura faced Itachi once more, sighing as she did so. She'd been hoping for a longer conversation with him, for she could still see the suspicion in his eyes. No, it wasn't as strong as it had been the past week, but it was still there. It was going to take more than a few pretty words to prove to Itachi that she wasn't deceiving him.

"We will continue this conversation when you return," he told her and reached forward, taking back his dango and grabbing the stick from her hand. However, he frowned when he looked down and then narrowed his eyes. "There is only one left."

She grinned and took that as her cue to leave. "I'll see you when I get back, Itachi."

"This is their last serving of dango for today."

The grin became more sheepish. She hadn't expected him to be so serious about the dango, but it looked like he was about to activate his sharingan and avenge the stolen snack. "My treat next time, okay?"

Silence.

Sweat dripped down her temple before Sakura waved and took a step back. "I can't be late… I'll see you soon."

Itachi sighed, though the aggravation and betrayal was still obvious. "Have a safe mission."

The uncomfortable grin dimmed to a warm smile and she nodded once.

* * *

The Hokage Tower was busy upon her arrival and Sakura found herself being stopped continuously by other shinobi, though unfortunately had to excuse herself every time it happened. She didn't have the time to stop and talk. The Hokage had requested her presence and so it was important that she arrived promptly, unlike her former sensei and his teammate, who were always late to everything.

His office doors were open and already, Minato was sat behind his desk, waiting for her arrival. Fortunately, he didn't show any annoyance, even though Sakura was certain that he would have been able to sense her being stopped by others. Stressed, sure, but not annoyed.

The stress was making him appear older, she realised with a deep worry settling into the pit of her stomach. It was bound to be because of the Uchiha Clan and their accusations, of that she was certain. Why were they so adamant that it was Minato who attacked Fugaku? So what if he was suspicious of Fugaku's eyes? What leader in their right mind wouldn't be, considering the fact that the Uchiha hid the true power he was wielding? What was the point of doing such a thing if he had no ill intentions?

"Hokage-sama," Sakura greeted formally and bowed her head.

"Sakura-chan."

"I was told that I would be going on a mission," she told him, but then frowned. "Seeing as it's just me here, I'm guessing it's only going to be me on the mission."

Much to her dismay, Minato nodded once and like only moments before, his features remained stressed, though a grave look was slowly accompanying the stress. "The mission is s-ranked, but I understand if you wish to refuse."

Oh, shit. Did that mean it was a seduction mission? Sakura's heart pounded at just the thought. She'd never been on a seduction mission before. Surely it would be best to send a team with her? Just in case she screwed up? After all, there was nothing charming about her, what with her awful temper, monstrous strength and abnormally large forehead. She would just screw-

"The mission requires you to infiltrate an enemy base," Minato stated. "Whichever way you decide is best. This scroll here is filled with information about the hideout, such as watches and the like."

Sakura breathed out a silent sigh of relief. It didn't mean seduction was ruled out, but it meant it wasn't being asked of her. As Minato said: it was her decision to choose how to infiltrate the base.

"I am asking you to gain whatever knowledge possible from this enemy base, extracting it from the rogue-nin and from the hideout itself."

"I understand, Hokage-sama."

"It is imperative that you do not attract attention to yourself," he warned her, his gaze serious. "From reports, I can tell you that it is filled with rogue-nin of different ranks, however, it would be too suspicious to send more than one person for the job. The reason why I have chosen you is because of your seal, Sakura-chan. Should the worst happen, you are capable of healing yourself. Others are not."

Only if her chakra reserves were full and the injuries didn't exceed her knowledge or reserves. There was only a certain amount of times that the regeneration jutsu could be used before it bled the person dry of chakra, leaving them in agony as their body adjusted to the unnatural speed of healing. There was the risk of it happening while she was unable to defend herself.

He sat back in his seat, sighing. "There is every chance that you could encounter an s-class criminal. Should that happen and should you not feel confident in defeating such an opponent, abort the mission."

Sakura nodded, understanding that he was telling her, without so many words, that her life was worth more than a mission. Should she be incapable of completing it with what was more than likely 'Plan A', then they would shift 'Plan B' into motion. The next course of action was probably ambushing the place with an unthinkable amount of force. The only reason why that wasn't their first plan was because the mission was to find out their intentions or plans, not to attack and wipe out.

"What information am I searching for, Hokage-sama?" she asked with a neutral tone and expression.

"My source states in his reports that this is the organisation who sent out the rogue-nin who attacked you in the desert."

It wasn't an attack on herself. It had been an attack on Naruto and Gaara. They had been after the tailed beasts. It suddenly clicked and she agreed to the mission without another thought.

"You want me to find out why they're after the Kyuubi."

It wasn't a question, but he responded affirmatively. "I already have an idea, but we need concrete evidence before we act."

Sakura nodded and tried her best to ignore the fear gripping at her heart. Her gut was twisting, warning her that this mission was possibly going to be…


	30. The Last

**Chapter 30**

**The Last**

* * *

In the cover of the night that shrouded the forest with darkness, Sakura leaned forward and surveyed the hideout before her.

Calling it a hideout seemed rather ridiculous, as there was nothing about it that even remotely resembled what a hideout was supposed to be. This place was out in the open, in the middle of a clearing within the forest, leaving the occupants vulnerable to watchful gazes such as her own. All that covered them was a pathetic wall, but anybody with the ability to sense chakra could easily overcome that tiny hurdle. To add to that, they had lit fires smoking up the area, giving away their positions.

Sakura had been watching the base for well over three days now. They were set right on the very edge of Fire Country and it hadn't been difficult to locate the rogue-nin. Many came and many went, but not one of them had sensed or spotted her yet and she put it down to her months of training as an ANBU operative.

It was more than just a little unnerving being without a team to back her up should things go awry, but Sakura did her best not to focus too hard on that fact. So far, she had yet to see anyone who was listed in her Bingo Book and everyone she'd caught sight of was definitely at a rank of no higher than B. There wasn't anything to be overly concerned about… yet.

Already, she'd read the scroll several dozen times and was now preparing herself to actually infiltrate the base.

It was a rough estimation, but Sakura knew there would be no more than fourteen, possibly even fifteen rogue-nin situated around the base and for the past three days, she'd been working hard on storing her chakra without leaving herself unable to fight to the best of her ability.

There was always one person on lookout and at that moment in time, it seemed to be one of the weaker members. He was a wiry guy and from her position, it looked as though he had less muscles than herself. However, Sakura had seen him move and she knew that he was all speed. His small stature aided him in moving around swiftly and should he get running, he would be difficult to grab hold of.

That was why she was so determined on striking tonight. There was no guarantee that he would be on lookout in the next week, as they seemed to take turns – not four hours shifts like an ordinary team would, but an entire night by themselves. However, they each did their bit without complaint and without any exhaustion showing on their faces. She supposed, as rogue-nin, it was imperative that they'd be able to stay awake twenty-four hours. Hell, it was imperative as a shinobi.

A soft breeze ran through the trees and encouraged Sakura to take a deep, calming breath. To keep herself from giving away her position, she'd been using unscented products while bathing and she also kept movement to a minimum when possible. Although it was frowned upon, she also relied on food pills rather than ordinary food, simply because it would draw attention starting a fire to cook, or the rustling of wrappers would give her away.

Narrowing her eyes, she watched his movements. Taking him out first would save her the hassle later on, but Sakura was playing around with the idea of taking his place with the use of a henge.

A henge was already in place, dying her hair a warm brown and masking the seal on her forehead, though she didn't bother hiding her ANBU uniform other than her dark cloak, which aided in keeping her hidden in the dark. That meant no reflections off her armour or somebody catching sight of said armour.

If she was to go through with her second idea, then she knew it was important to keep the guy alive long enough to extract all information from his mind. Mannerisms, routine or simply the way he held himself. It was vital that she didn't miss a single thing, because it could eventually lead to her being found out. From there, she would live as that guy, gathering information from his comrades and once the necessary evidence was found, Sakura would finish the job as cleanly as possible before returning home, where she could unwind and have a long, hot soak in the local bathhouse.

It was decided, then.

She shut one of her eyes, lining up her finger and thumb to her target. Her hand was unshaking, never moving out of line for even a fraction of a second.

"_Bang_," Sakura whispered.

The water bullet pierced him exactly where she'd been aiming, even from such a distance, right in the main artery in his thigh. She would have mere minutes to cast a genjutsu over him before he bled out, but Sakura had ways of forcibly prolonging a life.

In order to remain undetected, she flashed over to the writhing body, glancing around herself quickly and preparing to disappear from sight once more, silently apologising to the rogue-nin as she grabbed his sweating, trembling body. He was in too much pain to fight back.

However, she gasped as a hand rested flat against her mask, gripping it before suddenly slamming her head into the ground and beneath the hand, her mask crumbled to pieces, like it was nothing more than glass.

_Where the hell had that come from?_

A strangled sounding scream left her lips, getting caught in her throat and it was close to impossible to bring air back into her lungs as pain exploded from the back of her head.

"I was wondering when you'd finally reveal yourself," a dark voice spoke out from the cover of the trees.

_Damn it!_

How the hell had she missed an extra person? How the hell hadn't she noticed that they were watching her as she watched them? Were they a part of the same organisation?

It horrified her as Sakura witnessed the hand that had been on her mask slither back into the forest, with strange wires keeping it connected to a body. Squinting, she turned onto her stomach and pushed herself upwards, watching as not one man, but two, left the forest and entered the clearing.

The sight of them had her immediately on her feet, her guards raising and all pain forgotten. The already forming headache from having her head smashed into the ground was no longer important. Not when she was facing two of the most dangerous men out of her Bingo Book.

"Kakuzu," Sakura murmured. "Hidan."

Fighting one of them was dangerous and reckless. Fighting both of them at the same time was downright suicidal and she knew her Hokage would never ask something like that of her. The wise move would be to fall back and retreat, but Sakura knew they wouldn't allow something like that to happen.

Taking a half step back as they got closer, she eyed their movements suspiciously. She didn't even have her ANBU mask anymore. It lay by her feet, shattered to pieces and leaving her emotions bare for them to see. At least her henge hadn't faltered, but that was only because of her chakra control.

_It seemed her gut instinct had been right._

This was the mission that was going to change everything. Inwardly, she chuckled humourlessly. If only her saviour had told her about her final mission, then maybe she could have done something to prevent it.

Again, Sakura wondered how the two had managed to hide themselves from her so easily. Not once had they entered the base. The pair, who were dubbed as the 'Zombie Combo', weren't exactly hard to miss and the pair of them were… Well, simply put, they were immortal in their own unique ways, though it had never been fully investigated due to nobody living to tell the tale.

"Konoha, huh?" Hidan snarled and much to her horror, his grip on the scythe tightened.

What choice did she have? If she fled, they would catch her and even if they didn't, they knew what village she came from. If she stayed and battled them, then she knew it would end in her death. No matter how much she had improved, she was certainly not up to their level and never would be.

Her eyes narrowed and Sakura did her best to appear strong and unaffected as she straightened up, staring them down coldly. "So you're the ones behind the attacks on our jinchūriki?"

Hidan smirked.

She had to get word back to Konoha somehow. If it was the Zombie Combo who were after Naruto – or more precisely, the Kyuubi – then drastic measures would have to be taken. The pair were an unstoppable force. They were freaks of nature. Abominations. Naruto wouldn't stand a chance against them alone. Just like she didn't.

"Then I suppose I have no choice but to stop you here," Sakura murmured softly. There was no shake in her voice or in her hands like there previously would have been, but that didn't mean she wasn't terrified on the inside. "For the sake of my village and for the sake of our jinchūriki."

"For the sake of a village who sent you out here alone," Kakuzu muttered in reply.

Eyeing him with hidden wariness, Sakura refused to rise to the bait. The black cloth over his mouth muffled most of his speech, but not to the point where she couldn't make out his words or understand what he was saying.

"That means you must be a powerful asset," he added darkly and her eyes widened a fraction as she caught onto his meaning. "Release the henge," Kakuzu muttered.

Her heart stopped. "What henge?"

"Do not play games with me, kunoichi. Not when it concerns money," he spat angrily. "You have a hundred years before you can fool me."

Shit.

_Shit!_

What was she supposed to do?

If she tried to run she would be caught. If she fought she would die. Either way, it would be a loss. She was not immortal like-

Sakura's expression emptied and her stomach knotted with nervousness.

Perhaps not immortal like they were, but she had her own ace hidden up her sleeve. It was capable of healing her of all wounds, no matter the extent of them (proven by the beast bomb) and as long as her chakra didn't run out, then she would survive. That meant she would have to release the henge, though. The _Byakugō no In_ had only been mastered by two people and Sakura was certain that Tsunade had a much higher bounty over her head.

Raising a single hand, Sakura made the release hand sign. As stated earlier: not much about her appearance was changed, simply her hair colour and the masking of her seal.

They knew who she was in an instant, however.

"Haruno Sakura – disciple of Senju Tsunade, the Shodai Hokage's granddaughter." Kakuzu's shockingly green eyes twitched. "There is a large price on your head."

That didn't surprise her. After being an ANBU operative for a few months, Shisui had informed her that she would be in several of the other countries' Bingo Books, listed as an s-classed kunoichi. It was only a matter of time before bounty hunters came after her.

Still, it was kind of hard to believe that it was actually happening. As much as it annoyed her that her life had a price on it, like it was worth nothing more than money to some people, Sakura couldn't believe it was worth anything at all.

Hidan raised a hand to his neck, rubbing it before he was tilting his head to the side, cracking his neck horrifically. The sound grated on her nerves, secretly making her cringe. "Shall we do this then, Kakuzu?"

"Yeah."

_Shit!_

Sakura's hand flew through seals just as Hidan lunged for her, his scythe drawn. From the looks of things, Kakuzu was keeping his distance, was watching to see how she would fare against his partner.

She leapt backwards to create more space. The less damage she took, the better and that damned scythe would slice her in half without a problem.

A loud, manic laugh left Hidan's mouth as he yelled, "Jashin-sama, watch me!"

Jashin? The name had her frowning inwardly and Sakura was certain that she'd heard it somewhere before, but for now, all she knew was that she had to focus completely on her battle. Not doing so would get her killed.

"_Sensatsu Suishō!"_

Just as Hidan closed in on her, Sakura once again leapt backwards and the second she did, a thousand water needles rained down from the sky, focused on that one spot she had forced Hidan to enter while he was giving chase. Unsurprisingly, however, it only managed to slow him down. Unlike on other opponents, the thousand needles didn't keep him pinned with paralysing pain and somehow he found the strength to continue coming at her, waving his scythe widely around himself. As much as it disgusted her to admit it, it almost seemed as though Hidan got off on the pain, for pleasure had flitted over his expression before he was shooting forward once more.

Fortunately for her, he was slower than before.

She yanked her katana out of its sheath and stopped the scythe mere inches from her face, eyes wide. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins and making her feel like she was invincible, but Sakura continued to remind herself that she wasn't. Thinking that way against such lethal opponents would get her killed.

"I'm going to cut you into pieces." Hidan laughed manically and a shiver ran down her spine. "I'm going to rip your guts out!"

Oh, she had no doubts that he would if he got his hands on her. It was a shame for him that she was fast, wasn't it?

With Hidan distracted by the battle of strengths, Sakura narrowed her eyes and threw her knee upwards, satisfied when she felt his ribs give way from the blow. The rogue-nin staggered backwards, releasing her from their fight for the upper hand and during the short break, she put more space between them and took advantage of his pain. He was coughing up blood, but didn't bother hiding it or covering his mouth with his hand, instead allowing it to splatter to the ground and fly through the air.

It had been raining earlier, creating enough moisture for her to use a jutsu she had been learning recently. Holding one arm straight up into the air with two of her fingers extended, she brought the other in front of herself, creating a single hand sign.

"_Suiton: Kirisamegakure no Jutsu_," she murmured and in an instant, she stepped backwards, using the drizzle that suddenly began around them to hide herself.

Green eyes glanced around the area, making sure to keep her two enemies within her view. They were searching for her, with Hidan yelling at Kakuzu after a smart remark had been made. She paid little attention to their argument and focused entirely on their bodies and eyes. Kakuzu was alert and waiting for an attack, clearly trying to sense her, but Sakura had already dealt with that and masked her chakra to the point where she would pass off as a bug or something as insignificant as that. Hidan, however, was growing more and more restless and angry, waving his scythe about intimidatingly. Had she remained in her former place, it would have killed her when he first drew it back, cleanly slicing her head off.

"I wouldn't bother trying to escape," Kakuzu muttered. There was a strange lilt to his voice and it had her wanting to hear more of it.

Creating a clone, Sakura hid herself beneath the ground, having it take her place as it took the exact same fighting stance. Once the switch was over, she sensed the clone rushing forward. It probably had either two kunai drawn or a katana, but there was no true way of knowing until its existence was no more.

There wasn't much time to waste, so instead of focusing on her clone, Sakura moved through the soil with the aid of a jutsu until she was directly below one of the two, poised and ready to strike. Above her, she could hear the clang of metal forcefully connecting and it was shortly followed by a shout of surprise – Hidan, if she wasn't mistaken.

That meant the one above her was Kakuzu.

She gripped her katana, holding it at a specific angle before shutting her eyes, breathing out a deep sigh in order to calm herself. So far, her clone seemed to be fine, meaning she had the time to focus on Kakuzu. If she succeeded in hitting the right place, severing the biggest artery in his body, then he would be done for. Then again, he was supposedly immortal.

It was better than being a sitting duck, though.

Clenching her jaw and gritting her teeth, she broke out from beneath Kakuzu, startling the two men long enough for not only her own katana to slice straight through Kakuzu's body, but also for her clone to attack Hidan while he was distracted.

"A shadow clone," Kakuzu spat. He tried to look over his shoulder at her, meeting her hard gaze with unreadable eyes. "You used the mist…"

"Yeah."

She narrowed her eyes and brought her left hand to the hilt of her katana, pushing it roughly further through his body. The second she pulled it out, his life would hopefully be over. He would bleed out in seconds from a pierced and jaggedly cut heart.

"Kakuzu," Hidan yelled. "Which one's the real one, Kakuzu?"

"This… one…"

At the dark look in his eyes, Sakura yanked the katana back out, but wasn't prepared for him spinning and grabbing it from her hand, regardless of the fact it cut through his skin as a result. She supposed being stabbed through the heart made other injuries seem a little pointless.

Green eyes went wide with pure agony when her own katana was shoved through her side, cutting through her lung and in that moment, a selfish thought snapped through her mind.

_Where was her saviour?_

The clone was suddenly disposed of, popping out of existence in a cloud of smoke before Hidan's attention was abruptly on her, just as Kakuzu kicked out, slamming her up against a tree. She tried to push away from it, to drop back to the ground which was now at least fifteen feet below her, but it was a failed attempt.

_He wasn't going to make it in time!_

A piercing scream erupted from deep within her as Sakura felt a blade going straight through her arms and into the tree trunk, pinning her to it. She couldn't move. It was impossible and gravity was suddenly and relentlessly trying to drag her to the ground, fighting against the katana that was shoved through her forearms.

"Jashin-sama…" Hidan's voice was low and menacing. "This is your next sacrifice! This filthy non-believer!"

The pain was indescribable and she had absolutely nothing to compare it to. Sakura could feel the katana trying to slice vertically, the sharpness of the blade causing it to feel as though it was cutting through her like butter. Her veins were cut through, she could tell already, but because of the positioning of her arms, she was unable to make any seals. She was unable to heal herself.

She would not cry, however.

And she would not beg for mercy or her life.

If this was how it ended, after only minutes of the fight beginning, then so be it.

It was with untraceable speed that Hidan approached her, his foot slamming into the trunk beside her head and causing her to flinch instinctively. Crouching with his elbow resting on his knee, he smirked viciously.

"This is the Way of Jashin," he murmured.

Much to her horror, his scythe grew closer and closer until it was slowly running down the length of her face.

His smirk widened suddenly and he pulled the scythe back, with every intention of swinging it forward once more, "I'm going to enjoy sacrificing you."

The scythe was mere millimetres from her face when a humongous orange-red hand wrapped around Hidan's body, stopping him abruptly.

Sakura's eyes went wide at the familiar cloak, at the intimidating aura, even though he was covered in chakra.

"I will not allow you to harm Sakura," Itachi muttered dangerously, yanking him away from her, the other hand reaching out for him.

A second later and his Susanoo was tearing Hidan in half.

"You think this will stop me?" Hidan laughed hysterically. "You can't kill me, you fucking bas-"

But suddenly, black flames were engulfing his body just as the two halves began falling to the ground and Sakura flinched at the piercing howl of agony, unable to look away as she watched with horrified awe. The two halves of his body were writhing in pain, but after mere seconds, Hidan began turning into ash.

"That cloak…" Kakuzu seemed unconcerned about his partner's demise as he stared Itachi down.

It was only then that she noticed Kakuzu was wearing the exact same cloak as Itachi – Hidan probably had been, too, if she'd taken any notice. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did. In Itachi's memories, she had seen the Zombie Combo, so she knew they'd been a part of _that_ Akatsuki.

Instead of answering, the cloak of Susanoo faded away and Itachi appeared beside her with speed she couldn't keep up with. An arm wrapped around her middle, holding her upwards and the other hand, with an obvious use of chakra, ripped the katana from the tree, causing Sakura to bite back a shout of pain as the white hot agony increased.

"Heal yourself or you'll bleed out in minutes," he murmured lowly into her ear as they fell back to the ground.

Itachi continued to hold her close, so close that she could feel his heart beating erratically, indicating his fear even though there was nothing in his eyes to hint at it. In an attempt to save more chakra, however, Sakura merely stopped the bleeding. It would take far too long to repair the damage and reduce the scarring and she needed to focus on the battle against Kakuzu.

He was evidently smarter than his former partner, who now blew through the air as the wind picked up his ashes, and he was much more experienced, too. Adding that to his unknown list of jutsu and techniques, it would be vital of them to remain at full attention. Her injuries could be healed later, or if they became too much, then she would activate _Sōzō Saisei_.

Apparently her saviour caught on to her way of thinking, because he lowered Sakura to her feet and instead of forcing her to stay back, he allowed her to stand by his side. He was allowing her to fight with him. It both warmed her heart and terrified her. Did that mean he knew he didn't stand a chance alone? Did that mean his illness had already significantly weakened him?

But there was no time to think about it because Kakuzu was suddenly ripping his cloak away from his body, revealing his plain shinobi attire. It was only then that he bent over, that four masks on his back became visible and at the sight of them seemingly tearing his body apart, Sakura blanched, her breath leaving her in a disturbed gasp.

"Think of each mask as a heart," Itachi told her quietly. "Aim each attack to either weaken his defence, or take out a mask. Do not make any half-hearted attempts, because he _will_ kill you."

"And I will replace the heart you destroyed with yours," Kakuzu added and his green eyes narrowed dangerously.

Instinct told her to run as four large, black beings escaped from his body and that instinct only grew louder as he stood up straight, as they towered over him. In an instant, one of the four fell to the ground, shuddering and writhing until the black mess that it was made of melted away, leaving nothing but a broken mask behind.

Itachi's eyes were glued on the terrifying beasts and it was then that Sakura realised she was severely outclassed. If it weren't for his interference, then she would certainly have been dead by now. She would have been made a sacrifice to the God Hidan had obviously believed in. What had he called it again? Jashin?

Taking her eyes away from Itachi, she looked back to Kakuzu. It would be her first time fighting alongside the Itachi of the other timeline and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what she should expect from him. Were his techniques and jutsu similar to her Itachi's? Was he ruthless? Did he kill quickly and swiftly?

"Technically," Itachi stated, "you have killed Kakuzu once, Sakura. There are four hearts left, meaning we must kill him another four times."

"You make it sound as though it will be easy," replied Kakuzu and behind him, one of the figures shifted. "I can assure you now that it won't be."

A pause the length of a heartbeat. And then the large creature was breathing out fire like it was nothing and Sakura could have sworn that he didn't make any hand signs.

"_Katon: Zukokku!"_

Itachi's hands flew through several signs and then he was breathing out his own attack, countering the oncoming fire with a murmur of, _"__Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu."_

She was forced to raise an arm to shield her eyes as the two attacks connected, as Itachi's water fought hard against Kakuzu's fire. He had summoned a vast amount of water, taking advantage of the fact it had been raining earlier that day, but she noticed that Kakuzu's fire was slowly overpowering the water.

During the battle of strengths, Sakura immediately began rushing through hand signs – forty-four in total – and her eyes narrowed, the forming chakra taking on a shape behind her.

"_Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"_

Water always overcame fire, after all and she held nothing back in the attack as the large dragon shot straight towards the fire breathing creature, slamming down on it and drowning it completely. The pressure of the water dragon collapsing onto it would have been unimaginable, Sakura thought, and she wasn't surprised when the creature began shuddering very much like the first had.

_Another heart down._

Together, they stood a chance of winning, especially with their combined skill. Alone, Sakura seriously doubted that she would have been able to take out another one of Kakuzu's hearts so easily.

At the sight of another heart being destroyed, Kakuzu sent out the silent order for his remaining two to attack head on and without hesitating, they did so, darting straight towards them.

"Sakura, use your earth style to destroy the water mask," Itachi ordered and shot to the side, already running ahead. "I will defeat the wind mask. Then we will defeat Kakuzu together."

Of course. Earth overcame water, just as fire overcome wind. If they fought using that strategy, then she believed they could truly beat him. They could defeat Kakuzu. More than likely, the rogue-nin could use all of the elements and had a variety of jutsu stored up his sleeve, just waiting to be used on them. However, together, they would be able to take him on.

The mist created due to the fire being put out so abruptly began to shift, to help them see more clearly, but not enough to actually make much of a difference. She knew that Itachi wouldn't be struggling majorly with it due to his sharingan, however, she was and found herself relying mostly on gut instinct and her other senses to find out where the creature was.

"_Fūton: Atsugai!"_

Sakura didn't even have the chance to feel frightened of the sudden attack, because she was suddenly being thrown backwards several metres until she slammed into a tree, her head smashing against it and making her vision blur briefly.

The wind jutsu had been too quick for her to even notice until it was too late and her green eyes were wide as she fought through the haze, as she struggled to her feet and immediately tried to find Itachi.

It didn't take long as Susanoo rose from the debris, effortlessly shoving aside many trees that had been caught in the blast.

Itachi narrowed his eyes and it was like the simple action strengthened his Susanoo. "I will take you to the grave with me."

Sakura's heart stopped when she noticed the blood pooling at his feet.

"You can try, brat."

Just as she was about to run to him, to heal him, the creature she was supposed to be fighting appeared directly in front of her, its haunting mask taking Sakura's breath away.

"_Suiton: Suijinheki."_

Her attention was diverted from Itachi and his battle when a wall of water surrounded the black creature, smashing into her at full force before Sakura could so much as take a breath. Instinctively, she did so when the attack hit her and as a result, her mouth and lungs were soon filled with water. She was flushed away from the other battle and would have continued to be swept away if it weren't for a nearby tree.

Sakura reached into her pouch and yanked out one of her wires that was already attached to a kunai, throwing it with everything she had. Fortunately, it wrapped around the trunk on her first attempt and she used the wire as a lifeline, stopping her movement in the strong flow of water. From there, it was easy to summon her chakra to her feet and stand above the water.

She leapt into the tree, narrowing her eyes on the creature as she panted and coughed harshly, trying to regain her steady breathing and normal heart rate. All the while, Sakura tried to think of a strategy to defeat the mask. It was surprisingly powerful – extremely powerful, in fact and it would take a hell of a plan to bring it down. Sadly, she hadn't been working much on her earth jutsu as she had her water, for she had wanted to master one style before fully immersing herself in another.

Oh, how she regretted that decision.

Then again, it didn't necessarily have to be an earth style jutsu. Shivering slightly as her soaked clothes brought down her body temperature, Sakura reached out to the trunk, straightening herself. Her cloak had been lost somewhere during the beginning of the battle. It would be a wise idea to keep moving, not only to make it more difficult for the mask to capture her in another attack, but also to keep herself warm.

The second her plan was decided she used the branch to launch herself forward, landing firmly and safely onto the ground before shooting off in the direction she'd come from. It was close on her heels, its presence eerie and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

It was firing up another attack.

And then without warning, she spun around, her fist engulfed with chakra and the masked creature was unable to stop its momentum as it ran straight into her at full speed. Beneath her fist, the mask cracked slowly until it shattered completely, the blackness of the creature seeping into the ground and disappearing completely.

At the same time, just as she turned to find out how the other battle was faring, Sakura was happy to find that Itachi had already ended it – around the same time as herself, it seemed.

Still…

That wound…

She instantly ran over to him now that there were no obstacles and raised her hands when Itachi looked to her, his sharingan swirling and seeming so very deadly in that moment. At the faint glow of green healing chakra, however, he stunned her by shaking his head.

"Save your chakra."

There was more than enough to heal him and then herself. It would obviously mean that-

Sakura didn't have time to complete her thought. Ducking, she just barely dodged the fire attack that had threatened to burn her alive. No hand signs had been made and no words had been spoken – it had been completely without warning. It seemed that, while his masks had been predictable, Kakuzu was the opposite, but she supposed that was to be expected of a man who was rumoured to have lived for well over a century (or so the other Itachi's memories had told her).

Mere seconds after the first attack was sent, a wind jutsu followed, expanding the flames to hope shattering heights and forcing Sakura to run for it. She hoped beyond hope that Itachi was doing the same, for she was fairly certain that, even if they combined their own jutsu, they wouldn't be able to match the fire.

But it appeared he was trying anyway.

An amazing wall of water shot out from where Itachi had been standing and it had Sakura spinning around mid-leap, hands flashing through signs before she was also countering the fire with water.

Itachi was right: they had to at least try.

They made progress, but not enough to actually mean anything and she let out a loud yell when pain exploded up her side, her entire body shuddering as Sakura fell to the ground and convulsed.

A presence made itself known, standing above her and shielding her from another attack she was unable to follow and during that time, Sakura attempted to gain control of her muscles once more. For a while, they didn't respond, but a quick burst of healing chakra rushing through her veins aided her in finally standing up, wiping her lip of blood from where she'd bitten down on it to try and stay silent.

That lightning jutsu… It was undetectable. It had appeared out of nowhere. How was she supposed to counter a jutsu she couldn't even see?

"Forgive me," he murmured to her. "I was not fast enough to-"

"Don't apologise," Sakura scolded him. "You're only human."

Like with her own Itachi, he faltered for a fraction of a second, eyes going wide as they roamed her face, but then something softened in his expression, like he was recalling a pleasant memory.

Just as quickly he was shooting forward, meeting Kakuzu's attack head on and countering it with ease. She followed after him, leaping into the air and coming down from above, her foot slamming into Kakuzu's arm. It should have snapped the bone in half. Hell, it should have ripped the damn thing off. However, he didn't seem fazed in the least.

A second later and his arm was almost detaching itself, with black, wire-like strings allowing him to stretch forward and grab her ankle. All she could see in that moment were her blurred surroundings as she was repeatedly thrown around and smashed into the ground and into the trees. Anywhere that could hurt her, Kakuzu aimed for.

All of a sudden, the grip on her ankle relinquished and Sakura shakily stood up, staggering as she tried to find her balance.

Another fire jutsu.

This time, instead of trying to match it with a water jutsu, Susanoo reappeared, shielding Itachi's body without a single falter. It stood at least twenty-five feet into the air, dwarfing them all, yet it responded to Itachi's orders without hesitation. The second he reached out for Kakuzu, the Susanoo copied. When he managed to dodge, Itachi threw his fist downwards and Susanoo responded by crashing its hand into the ground, forming a crater.

Its next move was to reach for a katana, one that had Kakuzu narrowing his hauntingly green eyes.

"_Sakegari no Tachi."_

Wait, what? Surely he didn't mean _the_ _Sakegari no Tachi?_ The one from the legends? It was an ethereal weapon. A blade that was enchanted and capable of sealing anything that it pierced. Anyone who was stabbed by said sword would be thrown into a jar, where they would be forever trapped in a world of genjutsu. But how had Itachi managed to obtain it? Sakura had read about the sword back when she was a child, when legends and myths had fascinated her. They still did, she simply didn't have the time to get fully absorbed into them and didn't want to only half-heartedly read them.

In an instant, the sword was aiming straight for Kakuzu and being thrown with deadly precision.

But just as it hit him, a hand shot up from the ground at Itachi's feet, somehow managing to get around Susanoo's protection. It wielded a kunai, one that ripped through the Uchiha's middle without struggle.

Around him, Susanoo evaporated into the air, but not before it sealed Kakuzu away, undoubtedly using the last of Itachi's chakra to do so and all she could do was stare as everything slowed down, as a smile pulled at Itachi's bloody lips.

And then she was running, putting everything she had into making her shaking legs move forward, just in time to catch the Uchiha as he fell backwards.

"What were you thinking?" Sakura demanded angrily. "You… You didn't have to go so far. Why…?"

"When the time is right…" His eyes were serious as they met hers and it struck her hard. "Tell him everything."

It couldn't be real. The blood soaking her hands couldn't be real. The blood pouring from his side and now from his torso couldn't be real.

It was almost automatic how green healing chakra enveloped her hands and Sakura's eyebrows knitted together as she focused on saving his life.

He caught her wrist. "Don't."

"But… But why? I can heal you! I can-"

"This is… the only way I can leave," Itachi told her quietly, his voice raspy. "I am tired, Sakura. Allow me to finally… leave."

But he couldn't leave her! What was she supposed to do without her saviour? Without the man who had been watching her for who knows how long? How was she supposed to feel safe?

"I am… growing weary," he admitted and the heavy breath that left him made her cringe. His lungs had been pierced and they were filling with blood. "This timeline is affecting… my mentality…"

So she and Shisui had been right, then.

"D-Destroy my body," he ordered. "There cannot be… any evidence of my… presence." His hand sought out hers, clasping it tightly. "After… you must leave quickly. Kakuzu's men will… will come to see the outcome of the battle." The rapid, deep breaths he was taking made her lips quiver as fear gripped at her heart. "They know to stay out… of it if… they are fighting."

She nodded and Sakura held him close to her, refusing to look away from his eyes as they stayed glued to hers, even when his sharingan faded and it became painfully obvious that Itachi could barely see a thing, but not before a surge of memories assaulted her, making her lightheaded.

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

"You're going to be with her now," she whispered to him suddenly, trying her best to hold back the rest of her tears despite the traitorous shake in her voice. "You're going to be with your Sakura."

The smile he gave her was agonising. "You're… wrong. My Sakura… She was too pure to… to be where I am going."

But Sakura shook her head stubbornly, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "You're the most selfless person I have ever had the honour of meeting, Uchiha Itachi."

And much to her surprise, tears began to fill his near–sightless eyes, taking her breath away and making the pain in her chest so much worse. There were no more words to be said and realising this, Sakura brought Itachi as close as possible, holding him lovingly in her arms until he breathed his last breath.

It was only when his heart stopped beating that she finally moved, though did not allow herself to cry, not until she followed his orders and destroyed his body. There was no telling what would happen should anybody else find out about his existence in their world. And once the Uchiha Itachi belonging to a different timeline was no more, that was when Sakura finally caved into her emotions.

She fell to her knees once more and her nails tore into the ground, clutching desperately at the grass and the dirt as a trembling, broken sob echoed around her into the night.

He was gone.

Her saviour was gone.

* * *

Not fast enough.

Sakura scolded herself as she dragged herself back to Konoha, her steps faltering every so often as her weight made her pain increase.

She hadn't been fast enough. Despite Itachi's warning, she'd been too caught up in her grief to get out of there before the other rogue-nin descended on her like starving lions. With both of their leaders gone from sight and her curled up on the ground, crying and sobbing, they'd quickly pieced together the puzzle and attacked.

There was no excusing how sloppy she had been in disposing of them and now, she was paying the price. Dearly.

Pressing her hand more tightly to her side, Sakura swallowed hard and did her best to see through her dimmed vision. Her eyes were stinging and her vision was red, but she knew that it was only because of the blood that had run into her left eye from her forehead.

_Almost home._

Soon enough it would come into view and-

The feeling of overwhelming relief washed over her as Sakura limped through the gates of her precious village, but she must have been in a startling state, because the chunin on watch couldn't move for a moment, their features turning deathly pale. They merely stared at her with wide, horrified eyes.

A sudden wave of agony overcame her and she clutched a hand to her side and when she coughed, blood dripped down her chin. She could taste it on her teeth, staining them red and it was thick in her throat. More blood splattered onto the ground, just as it had for the entire journey home. There would be a trail leading straight back to Konoha, but that was seriously the least of her worries.

_She had no chakra to heal her wounds._

She needed Tsunade.

Knees buckling momentarily, Sakura breathed as deeply as she could before she was once more coughing, legs finally giving out on her, but before she could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her securely, holding her up.

Her eyes watered when she looked up.

"What happened?" Itachi demanded, already reaching down and lifting her legs, holding her close to his chest as he immediately set off towards the hospital. Vaguely, she saw his followers watching with stunned expressions. "Where is your team?"

Gone. Her saviour was gone. The grief made it impossible to breathe, made her wounds seem like nothing compared to the aching of her heart. Sakura had done her best to release her cries and sobs before returning, before fighting and before realising she needed urgent medical attention, but it seemed to have been for nothing. Just looking at Itachi's face made the pain double.

Her lack of answer forced him to look down at her, but Itachi's eyes lost their hard edge at the sight of her tears and he brought her that little bit closer, his arms tightening their hold around her. Apparently he didn't care about the fact he was now soaked in her blood.

It was obvious in the way that he landed back onto the ground that Itachi did his best not to jostle her. It didn't matter, though. By the time they reached the hospital, Sakura could no longer feel her injuries. She just felt numb and cold.

"Stay awake," he ordered when her eyes began to droop.

How could she…?

_She had let him die._

"Sakura," Itachi called out, but it was for nought.

She closed her eyes, welcoming the darkness with open arms.

* * *

How long had it been?

Green eyes squinted, languidly gazing to the left to look outside of the window. It was night now and she didn't need to look around herself to know that she was in a hospital – the smell was the biggest giveaway, but the amount of chakra surging within the building was another.

It was silent in her room and the lights were out. Sakura was grateful for the solitude, especially as tears began to fill her eyes once more. She brought a hand to her mouth, covering it and muffling the sobs she knew would begin soon enough.

He was gone.

He was truly gone.

It had been his wish. The Itachi of the other timeline had wanted to die, for he knew what was happening to his mentality and his illness had also returned. From his memories, she could recall the amount of suffering he had gone through and that was _with_ medication. In this timeline, he wouldn't have been able to acquire any, due to there already being an Itachi who was widely respected and feared all over the five nations.

_It had been his wish._

But why did it hurt so badly? Why did it feel like a piece of her heart had broken away and died with him?

He'd been right, hadn't he? She'd grown too attached to him.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to calm down and regain even the smallest amount of composure. She could sense that her more life threatening injuries had been healed, but the others had been left to heal naturally. That wasn't too surprising. The medics would want to save their chakra for fatal injuries and she agreed with the logic wholeheartedly, as it had been her own idea to do so.

The pain was noticeable, but due to the ache in her heart, it was overshadowed easily.

Throwing the covers from her body, she forced herself to get out of bed, even when her body fought against the motion and tried to knock her back down. Usually, Sakura was not one for disobeying hospital rules, but she couldn't stay there. She needed fresh air that was untainted by bleach and other sterilising products. What she needed was for somebody who would understand her pain. She needed to find Shisui.

Escaping via the window was an excruciating endeavour, one she hoped to never repeat and Sakura gritted her teeth as she landed on the ground shakily, her legs nearly buckling beneath her.

And then she was off, running as fast as her feet could carry her and she was unbelievably grateful to find that Shisui wasn't at home, but in fact on his way to returning to the district.

The look in his eyes when he caught sight of her conveyed his utter shock, however, he didn't have time to mutter a single syllable before she was grabbing his arm. He resisted for a moment, not understanding what was happening and wanting to demand answers, but the look in her eyes must have been pleading, or something about her expression must have swayed him, because Shisui slowly nodded once in agreement.

He managed to gently pull his arm out of her grasp, only to hold her hand and lead her towards an alley, where they would have the smallest amount of privacy and once Sakura could sense they were alone, once they were stood in the darkened alley just outside of the district, she turned to face him, chest shaking ever so slightly as she tried to calm herself.

It hadn't been long since his death, but Sakura could still _feel_ him in her arms, breathing his last breath. She could still hear that final breath and see the look in his faded eyes.

"Sakura?" Shisui took a step forward and tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. "What happened? Is Sasuke okay?"

She nodded, answering both questions at the same time. Everything was… It was all too much for her and it felt as though she couldn't breathe.

"He…" The words sounded strangled, but there was no fixing that. "He's dead."

There was a pause and she watched the confusion in his eyes growing. "You just said Sasuke is–"

"Not Sasuke," she hissed and all walls around herself crumbled, completely shattering. Why the hell was he asking about Sasuke? "He's dead. _Him!_ The one who was… who was always… _always_ watching over us!"

And with those simple sentences, Shisui caught on and Sakura watched as his breath left him, as his eyes widened a fraction.

"His illness…?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Me. Protecting me."

When her head dropped into her hands and the sobs finally escaped her, Shisui moved forward despite still being in a state of stunned disbelief and his hand slipped through her hair, bringing her head towards his chest so that she could cry with a small amount of privacy, instead of none. His other hand rested on her back, trying to comfort her.

They were both unaware of the set of red and black eyes watching from on top of the utility pole inside of the district.


	31. Take It Out On Me

**Chapter 31**

**Take It Out On Me**

* * *

There were several things that did not make sense.

For starters: the attack on his father. It had been random and uncalled for. Sure, Fugaku had enemies – life as a shinobi meant you were never without a foe – but he had done nothing that warranted for an attack like that. There shouldn't have been more than a handful of people, if that, who knew about his Mangekyō and with the exception of one person, they were _all_ members of the Uchiha clan.

Only himself and Shisui should have known about it, but understandably, they had informed their Hokage about the patriarch's leap in power the second they found out about it, the second they realised he would be hiding said power. What possible reason did Fugaku have to keep such a thing secret? What was the purpose?

The second was the Hokage's reaction to the attack. Itachi didn't understand why he was being so laid back about the hatred brewing within the clan. Couldn't he sense it? Couldn't he feel the beginnings of a coup d'état? The other Uchiha could only be held back so many times before they broke free, unleashing hell as they demanded revenge for their patriarch.

Next was…

It was the situation between Sakura and Shisui. It aggravated him that he was even thinking of it as a problem, because surely he had more important matters to deal with. However, Itachi's mind continued to go back to the night he saw Shisui lounging on her sofa like it was such a natural thing to be doing, like he'd done it a thousand times before. _Like he belonged there._

And, for reasons he couldn't even begin to comprehend, it made his chest ache and in response, Itachi immediately shut down the thoughts and feelings. What they chose to do was their own business.

…Until Sakura sat down and forced him to listen to her.

She had several points, the major one being they were both members of the Hokage's personal ANBU squad, but why wouldn't they include the rest of them? What about himself, Neji and Sai? Were they no longer important? Were they suddenly useless to them? It would be better to have the entire team listening out for trouble, to try and find any evidence of where the attack had come from and why, instead of simply spying on the clan.

Saying that, Itachi had also been spying on his clan.

Hostility was growing. Hatred was blossoming. Soon enough, like an erupting volcano, the Uchiha were going to act on their emotions and it would come out of seemingly nowhere. Their clan head had been attacked in his sleep by some powerful, skilled enemy and that was something they would never be able to forgive. They wanted revenge against the person who had stolen their clan's ultimate secret.

"Itachi-sama, there is an issue with an officer in headquarters. What do you suggest we do?"

Inwardly, he sighed and continued on his walk. Itachi would have liked to have more time alone, to have more time to sort through his hectic thoughts and try to come up with some kind of plan, but apparently that was not allowed.

They had been following him all morning. Four of the clan elders, all dressed in robes, yet somehow they still managed to keep up with his brisk pace. The eldest was easily reaching his nineties, however, life as a shinobi and constantly training and taking care of himself allowed the man to remain agile and fairly fast. He would be of no use in a battle, though, for it was clear that his bones were much more brittle.

"What is the situation?" he asked, hiding his reluctance.

Clan duties were unbelievably tedious. Watching his father had always led him to believe they were demanding and difficult, but it seemed Itachi had only been right about the demanding part. Everything was so easily settled that it was bordering on ridiculous – they didn't even need his assistance to sort it out. They simply couldn't think for themselves or act on initiative.

"There is a complaint about unfair treatment towards a criminal," that same elder told him. "He is barely fifteen years of age-"

"What crime did he commit?"

A sigh. "He is a thief, Itachi-sama, and was apprehended by Haruno Sakura, but arrested by Uchiha Shisui."

What a surprise. They'd been together.

Itachi shook the petty thought from his mind, scolding himself for thinking so childishly. Whether they were together or not didn't matter to him. It didn't.

"According to the boy, he has been treated poorly by both."

If he was apprehended by Sakura, then it was obvious he was going to be more than a little roughed up. Itachi knew that she had no patience for thieves and had it been a particularly bad day, then he would be more than just sore. On the other hand was Shisui and Itachi doubted that his friend had caused any harm to the boy. Unfair treatment… Perhaps an uncomfortable stare or two, where it was obvious he was judging the boy, but never would he ever physically harm a child.

"Shisui is not an officer," Itachi stated plainly and turned a corner.

The surrounding area was busy, with people going about their day in what seemed like a hurry. They wrestled with the crowd, fighting to get through when it got to a particularly busy area. That was mainly because it was the market area, however and since it was reaching midday, it was no surprise that it was growing more chaotic.

"That is not-"

"It is entirely the point." He glanced over his shoulder at the old man, regarding him blankly. "Why was Shisui making an arrest when he is not an officer?"

No, he was not condemning his friend. It was a simple fact that anybody would raise, especially if the complaint was sent to their Hokage. Minato would try to see the situation from everybody's perspectives and the first thing he would ask Shisui was _why_ he was making an arrest.

"That's because-"

"It is because we do not have enough officers on patrol." Itachi faced forward once more, taking in his surroundings. Nobody appeared to be taking any notice of them and that satisfied him, as he was growing tired of receiving attention. "In the district, there is always an officer on every street making his rounds, but tell me, where are the officers who are supposed to be patrolling the streets of Konoha?"

Silence. It encouraged him to continue and he did so with an air of annoyance. "Shisui took a risk in arresting the thief. Had there been an officer on duty, the situation would have been dealt with swiftly. I am not saying that there would be no complaint, as there is every chance the thief is trying to be difficult, but this problem could have been avoided entirely if we simply sent out more officers, instead of keeping them within the district."

One of the older men scowled up at him and quickened his pace as much as he could, trying to walk by his side. It was a failed attempt as he was kept a step behind no matter how hard he tried. "Itachi-sama, that would leave our district weakened-"

He cut him off firmly. "There is no need to have our defences so high."

"The Hokage's attack on your father-"

"Have you found any evidence to blame Hokage-sama?"

"It all leads back to him!"

"How so?"

The man was growing red in the face when Itachi finally came to a standstill, turning to glare down at them all. His patience was wearing thin and he was tired of repeating himself. Had there been any evidence of the attack being ordered or carried out by the Hokage, then Itachi would deal with it himself in a nonviolent way. However, nothing was leading to the Hokage and when questioned, he'd seemed just as perplexed about the random attack. No, not only perplexed, but he was worried and anxious. Not only had somebody infiltrated the Uchiha District – they had also infiltrated the village. Somehow, someway, they broke through their defences like it was nothing and that scared Minato, no matter how hard he tried to mask that fear. The man was growing stressed trying to find out how and when it happened and he'd already sent ANBU out to investigate, to see if they had any intruders lurking around Konoha.

Itachi believed in his Hokage one hundred percent and he truly believed that Minato had nothing to do with the attack. Sure, he had been suspicious of the power Fugaku's eyes held, but he wouldn't have done anything that would negatively affect the village, not unless he absolutely had to and had strong evidence against Fugaku's ill intentions. The attack… It was going to escalate to a coup d'état if they didn't handle it correctly.

"The Hokage has always been suspicious of us," he snarled back at him. "We are always under their watchful eyes. What makes you so sure they won't come for our sharingan next? What about-"

"Whoever attacked my father won't come back for your sharingan." The idea alone was laughable. "My father's eyes held a power beyond your imagination. Anything less, even my own eyes, are child's play when compared to his."

"Shisui's eyes-"

"Shisui understands the situation and he is on his guard."

That worry had bubbled within him the second Itachi heard the news of his father's eyes being stolen. If the attacker wanted power, it was only a matter of time before they came back for Shisui's, as they held such a destructive, terrifying power within them. He was capable of warping the mind without the person ever realising, forcing them to believe whatever he wanted them to believe.

Unless the attacker simply wanted to weaken Fugaku? Had he wanted him dead, he could have killed him right there and then, without his father ever knowing what hit him. Hell, they could have killed his mother, too.

It was such a wonderful day weather-wise and the heat of the sun should have warmed him, but Itachi only felt cold on the inside. Usually, he was one to admire nature, especially when it was at its finest, but today he found he didn't have the time or the patience to watch how the birds flew proudly in the skies, or how the breeze blew leaves from their branches before aiding them in a dance around the village.

What a shame.

"We must take precautions, Itachi-sama. If the Hokage is going to strike-"

"I am growing tired of repeating myself," he stated simply and once more turned away. "If you are going to continue accusing Hokage-sama of such a crime, then fine. That is your own problem. However, do not drag the rest of the clan down with you."

"Itachi-sama, how dare you…!"

But he was no longer focusing on the irate elders behind them as they shook with their renewed anger, or as they attempted to glare holes through the back of his head.

No, his eyes were fixed on the horrifying sight before him. They were fixed on the bloody mess that was dragging themselves through the gates of their beloved village. Barely even managing to stand. Barely even managing to breathe.

The state of Sakura took his breath away from him and he felt even colder than he had moments before.

It was instinctual that he rushed towards her, dismissing the elders completely and as her legs buckled, as her injuries grew too much for her, Itachi reached out, catching her and holding her body close to his own. In a second, he was off.

There was blood covering the right side of her face, causing her hair to stick to her features and her neck and her body was in no better condition. Blood seemed to be pouring from her side and he could feel it soaking through his shirt, could see it leaving a trail behind them as he shot across the roofs of many houses and buildings.

What happened to put her into such a state?

He tried asking, but it appeared she was lost inside of her own mind, more than likely due to the extensive blood loss. It worried him that she hadn't healed herself and going off her injuries, it was obvious she'd been in battle. Sakura was usually much more careful with her chakra and always left enough to heal herself and her team. Had she been caught off guard? Was it a solo mission? When she refused to answer, Itachi glanced down at her and an indescribable feeling washed over him at the sight of her tears. He wanted to reach out and brush them away, for they were such a painful sight to witness and it made his throat close up, made his chest give an uncomfortable squeeze. However, all he could do was bring her closer, was tighten his hold on her.

What happened to her on the mission? What had caused the expression on her face? It was clawing at him to find out, clawing at him to protect her from the agony she was so very obviously experiencing. It looked like she was grieving, like she had lost something precious to her and it hit him hard in the gut.

The hospital was within sight only moments later and he did his best to land in a way that didn't jostle her too greatly, for he didn't want to make her pain any greater. He ignored the gasps and squawks of horror from those who were merely going about their day, not sparing them a single glance.

"Stay awake," he ordered when her eyes began to droop.

But instead her eyes shut and Itachi couldn't even deny that fear grasped his heart when her chest stopped rising, when she breathed out a final breath.

"Sakura."

The doors opened automatically and in a matter of seconds, several medics were rushing over to them, eyes wide and features pale as they set Sakura onto a gurney and set off at a fast pace. Even though he knew he wasn't supposed to follow, for they would start an immediate surgery to save her life, Itachi found himself wanting to. He found his feet itching to move forward, to assist in any way possible. He knew he would only get in the way, though.

Not breathing. She'd stopped breathing. Her already pale skin had been even paler by the time they took her out of his arms and suddenly the blood staining his clothes felt like it was scalding him. It felt repulsive and made him want to empty the contents of his stomach.

It had only been a week since he last saw her. The last time he saw her, she had stolen his dango and he had been annoyed with her for it, because it was the last serving and she'd only left him one. Now that seemed so petty and stupid.

His feet moved without his permission until Itachi was outside of the operating room, focusing hard on her weak chakra. He sat in one of the chairs, his eyes shut and eyebrows knitting together in concentration, with his hands balled into his fists against his thighs. At some point, he felt a surge of powerful chakra coming from within the room, but he brushed it off immediately, as he knew it would only be Tsunade.

The woman was pushing her reserves to the very limit, forcing all of her chakra into Sakura's body to try and heal her of her fatal injuries. The room was soundproofed, so he wasn't able to listen in or try to gain some knowledge as to what was happening. All Itachi was capable of doing was sensing the chakra and even then, it was not a skill he was great at.

Everything he did know, however, was being used to its maximum in that moment. He could sense several of the medics pouring their chakra out, to the point where it was almost as weak as Sakura's empty reserves and it only helped to settle a great weight into his gut. Everybody was dwarfed by Tsunade's chakra and it made it harder to focus on Sakura's, but somehow, he managed to. He kept a lock on her until his head ached. He was focusing so hard that the second he heard footsteps to his left, his eyes snapped open, shooting to the person and forcing them to come to an abrupt halt.

"Calm down, Itachi."

The sight of Shisui did not help in the slightest.

"Itachi," his voice was more firm now and what he was saying was clearly an order. "Deactivate your sharingan."

Deactivate…?

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to follow Shisui's order, muttering an apology for the fright it more than likely caused. Allowing himself to get so worked up was never a good thing, but the twisting in his gut was making it difficult to care about anything else.

"How is she?"

"How do you know?" he demanded quietly, his voice a low murmur.

Shisui sighed and after a brief moment of hesitation, he sat down in the seat beside him. "I saw the whole thing, Itachi. Her return and you bringing her here. It worries me that you didn't sense my presence."

In all honesty, he'd had more important things to worry about than a presence he knew was not hostile or a threat. "They have yet to finish operating."

It never bothered him when Shisui took control of a situation. No matter what role he played, Shisui would always be his superior and not just because of the power his eyes wielded. However, in that moment in time, Itachi found himself growing annoyed with his friend. This was one situation he didn't want him to take control of.

Sakura was…

"How are you feeling?"

How was he feeling? Itachi glanced away from Shisui, forcing down the instinctual retort of "I'm fine". They both knew that it wasn't true.

"I have told you before," he spoke languidly when there was no response. "You are good at fooling yourself and it is why you can't grasp your true feelings."

What?

"Look at yourself, Itachi," Shisui told him and sat back in his seat with a sigh, staring ahead of himself at the white wall plastered with notices. "You can deny having feelings for Sakura all you want, but in a moment like this, it's all come shooting to the surface and you can't hide it."

"It doesn't matter how I feel," he retorted coolly. "What matters is whether or not she lives."

"What will you do if she doesn't?"

The question had pure hot anger shooting through his entire body and Itachi wanted nothing more than to yell at his friend for his heartless question. However, his more rational side was quietly telling him that it was something he needed to consider. They were still working on her and it had been over an hour already. The odds weren't looking too great.

Again, when there was no reply, Shisui asked more quietly, "What will you do if she does?"

If she did survive… Itachi promised to hear her out. He promised to listen to whatever she had to say and let her finish. He promised to stop jumping to conclusions. He promised to stop listening to the small voice in his head telling him to distance himself, to take himself out of the situation before he got stung by betrayal or grief. He would try his best to help her with whatever emotional pain she had been experiencing before falling unconscious. He would let her eat his dango, even if it was the last serving of the day.

Another set of footsteps demanded their attention and they watched with hidden wariness as Shizune darted into the operating room, immediately setting herself to work. But in the brief moment the doors were open, Itachi found himself looking away at the sight of a lifeless, pale hand dangling over the side of the table, with blood dripping from her fingertips.

_Life…_

_And death…_

He tried to shut down the thoughts that had plagued him ever since he had been forced to witness the war and its aftermath at the tender age of four. He tried to ignore the ache in his heart and the twisting in his gut. He tried to ignore the vicious voice in his head, hissing that this was the life of a shinobi.

There was no point in growing attached to anyone when they would soon enough be taken from you.

"Breathe, Itachi," Shisui ordered calmly. "You are getting worked up."

How many friends had he lost because of their status as a shinobi? How many clansmen had died in the line of duty? How many funerals had he attended not only in his lifetime, but in the past year alone? The thought of one more name being added to the list made him feel sick to his stomach, but it hurt so much more knowing it could be Sakura's name. It made him once more question the lives of shinobi and whether or not it was all worth it in the end.

Itachi did as Shisui ordered and took a deep, calming breath, willing the racing of his heart to slow. What use would he be if he was falling apart?

But still, his mind continuously snapped at him that _this_ was why he refused to make bonds with anyone, because this was how it would always end: in death.

And he was tired of saying goodbye to his precious people.

* * *

Six hours, thirty-nine minutes and fifty-three seconds later and Itachi was sat beside her hospital bed.

They had managed to stabilise Sakura two hours after Shisui joined him, meaning three hours altogether. It was worrying that it took so long, especially with so many medics (and including both Tsunade and Shizune) and it made Itachi wonder about the extent of her injuries. How much had she suffered? Was this why she'd been unable to heal herself?

Tsunade had told him that Sakura _had_ tried to heal herself and from the looks of things, had actually healed the most fatal wound, but because she ran out of chakra after healing that particular injury, she'd been unable to heal the rest. It was from pure determination and stubbornness that she even made it back to the village and it made Itachi see her in a whole new light, made him admire the personality that had once annoyed him.

When he first saw her, he'd been too concerned with getting her to the hospital to notice that her seal was gone, but now it seemed to be all he could take note of. How much of her lifespan had Sakura lost by using the regeneration jutsu so many times? It worried him.

Shisui had left not long after hearing she was going to be fine and it left Itachi wondering about their relationship. Not his own and Shisui's, or his own and Sakura's, but Sakura's and Shisui's relationship. What exactly was it? Friendship, or something more? It was obvious he cared for her – he wouldn't have followed them to the hospital otherwise. However, something was bothering him. Shisui was much, _much_ faster than himself. He would have been able to reach Sakura first, had he wanted to. Not only that, but why would he have waited an hour before coming to see how she was?

It simply didn't make any sense in his mind. He kept trying to put the pieces together, but just as he was certain he'd figured it out, one or both of them did something that completely shattered his puzzle, leaving him just as lost and clueless as he first was.

Was it okay to pursue Sakura? Was she already involved with Shisui? Did she have feelings for him? Or did she have feelings for Shisui? What were his own feelings regarding her? Was there any point in even contemplating pursuing her?

Itachi had originally thought that he was okay with where their relationship already was. Friends who could confide in each other, who could sit and enjoy the peace and quiet without feeling awkward or uncomfortable because of the silence. However, seeing Shisui sitting in her home like he belonged there had sparked something in him, something Itachi never would have believed he would feel.

Jealousy.

The sound of the door behind him sliding open had his eyes glancing over his shoulder, only for him to stand when he saw that it was Sasuke and Naruto.

"Is she okay?" Naruto demanded as he entered the room, going straight over to her bed and picking up her hand, holding it between both of his. Hers was lost in the grip. "What happened?"

Itachi stepped to the side, meeting Sasuke's accusing gaze before his younger brother joined Naruto's side, watching over his unconscious, former teammate.

In the hospital bed, she looked so tiny and fragile, like one rough movement would break her into a thousand pieces. She was pale and still, with her chest rising and falling in long, deep breaths, indicating that she was peacefully sleeping. Itachi hoped it would stay that way for a while, at least until the _Sōzō Saisei_ effects ended. There was no telling when they would start unless she woke up or showed some kind of sign of being in pain.

"Itachi?" Sasuke pushed when there was no answer.

"Sakura returned to the village in thatis state," he reported tonelessly. "I happened to see her and brought Sakura to the hospital." Before they could demand more answers from him, he turned and stepped through the door. "If you will excuse me."

The door was shutting just as Naruto opened his mouth and Itachi was already walking away.

It was heart-warming that Sakura had so many people who cared about her well-being. In the past four hours alone, she'd had many nurses coming and going, unnecessarily reading her charts to make sure she was going to be okay. They all seemed to know her personally, which didn't surprise Itachi in the least. Sakura was a well-known woman who was admired and adored by many. Whenever he heard her name around the village, it was always spoken with the utmost respect and it was always when people were praising her. It was inspiring to see how far she had come in the past several months since joining his team and Itachi had to admit: he was saddened that he wouldn't be able to continue watching her progress so closely.

Now that news was getting out about her hospitalisation, Itachi had no doubts that her room would soon be swarmed with many wishing her to have a full and smooth recovery. It would be best to get out while he still could.

Just as the double doors granting him freedom from the stuffy hospital swept open, Itachi paused, displeased to be greeted by four angered elders.

"Itachi-sama."

He nodded once. "Elders."

He knew them all by name, but would never give them the pleasure of hearing him speak to them so directly, just like he would never give them the pleasure of walking by his side. They were old news and they were constantly trying to warp the minds of the younger Uchiha. As soon as he finished the transitioning stage, they were going to be dismissed, along with anyone else who continued to follow Uchiha Madara and his followers' beliefs.

They were not being ostracised, as many believed. They had been given the chance to integrate with the rest of the village by having one of the largest roles in the village: officers of the law. Some saw it as condemnation, because who liked the law? However, Itachi saw it as allowing the people of Konoha to lean on them in their hour of need. If you were mugged, assaulted or if somebody close to you was murdered, who did you turn to? The police. Who did you trust to catch the criminals? The police. By giving them such a huge role, it was the Nidaime's way of saying: earn the villagers' trust. Prove to them that you're not the bad guys. But of course, nobody saw past the apparent hatred.

Itachi sighed and walked by the elders, not surprised in the least when they followed him right on his heels. He could feel their anger in the air, but it didn't bother him in the least. They could get as angry as they wanted, but soon enough, they were all going to be dismissed from their positions on the council.

"You should be grateful that that looked good for the clan," one of the elders muttered lowly to him. "Many have been speaking about it. It will help to show them that the Hokage is the one at fault here, not-"

His patience snapped.

Without even glancing at them or bothering to reply, Itachi leapt up onto the roof of the closest building and created several clones. Once his real body was hidden within them, they all shot off in different directions, leaving the elders to wonder which way was the right way.

* * *

It was much later on when Itachi finally revealed himself as he re-entered the district.

"_Sakura? What happened? Is Sasuke okay?"_

His head snapped in the direction of right and his eyes narrowed, sharingan activating to better sense the chakra and the movements surrounding him. That voice… It belonged to Shisui and going from what he had said, Sakura was with him.

"_He…" _Her words sounded thick and strangled, like she was finding it difficult to control her emotions._ "He's dead."_

Itachi's eyes went wide. Sasuke… was dead? What the hell had happened in the past several hours? Out of instinct alone, he shot up onto the nearest district pole, eyes searching for pastel pink hair. Shisui would blend into the darkness too well, but Sakura would stand out like a sore thumb.

Fortunately, it took mere moments to find the pair and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of them together in a darkened alley. Were they worried about being seen together? Did that mean they were, in fact, together?

More importantly: what the hell had happened to his brother?

Heart beating much faster and his breathing quickening, Itachi listened intently. If they didn't start speaking again soon, then he was going to interrupt their little-

"_You just said Sasuke is–"_

"_Not Sasuke!" _came her angered hiss of a reply and it seemed her emotions had taken over completely, because she was suddenly sobbing._ "He's dead. __Him!__ The one who was… who was always… always watching over us!"_

The one who was always watching over them?

Itachi breathed a deep sigh of relief that his brother was safe and alive, but soon enough, the feeling of relief was overshadowed by a great confusion. What was that about? The one who was always watching over them? What did that mean? Did they have a stalker of some kind?

"_His illness…?"_

"_Me. Protecting me."_

What was going on? Crouching low, Itachi's eyes narrowed further on the pair of them and he was well aware of the fact that the tomoe in his eyes were spinning, a clear sign of his growing agitation.

In all his years of knowing Shisui, not once had the older Uchiha ever mentioned a possible stalker and since getting to know Sakura, she had never said anything, either. Neither of them showed any signs of having unwanted attention and it was gnawing at him to find out what they meant by 'always watching over them'.

If the guy was so skilled at masking his presence while watching over the pair, what kind of person was he? Suspicion had his grip tightening on the utility pole. Was he the kind of person who attacked a man who was peacefully sleeping beside his wife? Was he the kind of person who stole another man's eyes?

Sakura's head dropped into her hands and Itachi picked up on the sounds of her cries easily. The sounds of them had his stomach and chest aching viciously, but the anger that was settling deep into his heart was more intense.

_Did they have anything to do with the attack on his father?_

The next movement was Shisui stepping forward and reaching out, his hand running through her hair until he was bringing her head to rest against his chest. It was such a private gesture that Itachi almost felt the urge to look away, to offer them more privacy, but instead he kept his hard eyes on them, watching as Shisui's other hand rubbed a soothing rhythm against her back.

He would find out what they were hiding.

And if they had anything to do with the uncalled-for attack on his father…

Itachi's eyes narrowed just as Shisui glanced upwards, immediately meeting his gaze. There was something in his eyes, the same deep, painful grief that he'd seen in Sakura's before she fell unconscious.

A second later and he was disappearing into a flock of crows.

* * *

"What is it, Itachi?"

He knelt beside his father's bed. Despite the fact that he could no longer see, Itachi still felt the need to mask his emotions and carefully guard his tone, making sure that there was nothing he could pick apart.

"What do you remember about the night of the attack, Father?"

The older man sighed and he couldn't even blame his father for growing annoyed so quickly. It wasn't exactly the first time he'd been asked such a question, but every time he answered, it was always with the same reply. Itachi had been hoping that, over time, he'd remember what had happened other than the excruciating pain he'd been in.

"Nothing."

Itachi shut his eyes, holding back the need to sigh with agitation.

It was late at night, but only minutes since he'd seen Shisui and Sakura together. Since his father did nothing but stay in bed all day, drifting in and out of sleep, he was usually up until all hours of the night with nothing to do but sit there and think. That was the only reason why Itachi had sought him out at such an hour.

"I heard you have been difficult for the elders."

His father was trying to start a conversation? Itachi sat up straighter, his eyes warming on the older man. It was the first time since his return from the desert that Fugaku had tried to start a conversation. Usually he told them all to leave him alone.

"They believe it was Hokage-sama who attacked you," he replied without hesitation.

"You don't agree?"

He raised an eyebrow, regarding the older man's bandaged features. "Do you?"

A small, reluctant smirk pulled at Fugaku's lips and he snorted softly. "That man is too soft to outright attack the patriarch of our clan," he stated with ease. "I will admit that yes, Minato has always been suspicious of my eyes, but he has never confronted me about them, let alone attacked me." He sighed suddenly. "This is why I am pushing you into becoming patriarch already, Itachi."

Itachi also sighed, unable to stop himself and he nodded once. "I know."

"I will not be able to stop them, should they demand a coup d'état, nor will I make a difference in their beliefs. They will no longer fear consequences from a patriarch who no longer possesses his sharingan." Again, Itachi nodded once, quietly sounding his agreement. "You, however, have always been unpredictable to the elders, Itachi and they fear your reactions. Even though you do not possess the Mangekyō, you are able to go against Shisui and match his strength if you go all out.

"They fear how much power you will gain if you manage to obtain the Mangekyō."

Honestly, he hoped he never found out and he hoped he would never possess such destructive eyes. He had unlocked the sharingan after a horrific, traumatic event that left him haunted. Itachi couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of pain one had to go through to unlock the mangekyō.

A knock on the bedroom door had them both turning their heads in the direction of it, but it was only when Itachi murmured "enter" that it opened. It disgruntled him slightly, as he wouldn't have minded speaking with his father for a short while longer. It had been too long since he last spoke to anyone.

"Itachi," Mikoto spoke softly as she entered the room with her hands joined in front of herself. "Shisui has come to visit you."

There was a sudden childish urge to order her to tell him to go away, but Itachi shut the words down before they even formed and stood, glancing back to his father.

"I will do my best to change their minds, Father."

He nodded once, already going back to being silent.

"Please remind him that it is not appropriate to ask to see somebody so late at night," Mikoto murmured quietly. It was an order, though, despite how soft her voice sounded.

"He is an old friend of Itachi's, Mikoto," Fugaku surprised them by arguing.

"That may be, but imagine if Itachi was living alone, Fugaku," she replied swiftly and without hesitation. "Had Shisui gone to visit Itachi so late at night, it would look very suspicious."

Yes, Itachi agreed wholeheartedly. Shisui had an awful habit of visiting people late at night. "I will bring it up," he promised.

His old friend was not outside the front area of the house, he realised after a quick search for his chakra. No, his mother must have allowed him to go around the back, where nobody would see or hear their conversation. In his eyes, she cared too much about what others thought.

And there he was, standing on the edge of the veranda and gazing out at the garden, watching the water gushing from the bamboo fountain. It was such a relaxing sound, yet Shisui had a troubled expression on his face, one that almost made him falter in approaching him.

"Itachi."

He didn't turn to face him, or even show any other signs of acknowledgement and it irked Itachi for reasons he couldn't understand. "What did you come here to discuss?"

It was a rather chilly night, he realised belatedly and Itachi glanced down at the goosebumps that had broken out across his bare arms. Earlier, it had been warm enough for a short sleeved shirt, but now it seemed if he was to stay out, he would have to switch to a long sleeved shirt. Then again, it didn't seem as though Shisui was going to drag out the conversation.

His next words proved his point.

"I am not going to keep telling you that nothing is happening between us," Shisui stated simply. "Sakura and I know the truth and whether you wish to believe us or not, is your own choice, but I am warning you now, Itachi." He tilted his head to the side, stunning him with the sight of his anger. "Stop hurting her. There is only so much heartbreak one person can take before they lose themselves completely."

Itachi seriously doubted that he had broken her heart in any of their interactions. Had he done so, he would have noticed sooner. He would have noticed that there were feelings there to hurt.

"She cares about you," Shisui continued and turned fully. Before that moment, the height difference between them both had never really occurred to him, but now, it seemed to be all he could notice. Shisui was easily a full head taller than himself. "Despite how much you push her away, despite how much you make it obvious that you don't trust her, she still cares for you."

He refused to reply to his words. Not because he was being childish or petty, but because if Shisui was speaking the truth, then Sakura was perfectly capable of telling him herself. She was old enough _not_ to send a messenger, like a child in the Academy would, to confess her feelings.

_There was nothing to confess, anyway._

_She couldn't continue to shine in his world._

* * *

Sitting back against the trunk of the tree he was hiding in, Itachi breathed out deeply, relishing in his moment of freedom.

It would take the others a while to know where he was and during that time, he planned to rest both his mind and body. During that time, he wasn't going to think about the things that were stressing him out, or of the people who were getting on his last nerve. In that moment in time, it was just himself-

"_Shut your damn mouth!"_

The tree he was in suddenly gave way, making Itachi's eyes snap open and in an instant, he leapt out of it, landing firmly and securely onto the ground several feet away from where it landed.

"Forgive us, Uchiha-taichou."

He turned his head to the side, regarding Hyuuga Neji silently for a while before he faced forward once more, silently grieving for his lost freedom and peace. Was five minutes really so much to ask?

"What happened?"

There was a sigh, followed by Neji coming to stand behind him. The culprit who had taken the tree down was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't mean he didn't know who it was.

"Training, except…" Neji's pale eyes looked out to the far left, narrowing fractionally. Itachi hadn't failed to notice that his Byakugan was activated. "Sakura seems serious about it. Incredibly so."

"Is that so?" It didn't annoy him that the team was training without him – he was no longer a part of it, after all. It simply… saddened him, strangely enough. "There was no-one here a few minutes ago."

"There still isn't," replied the Hyuuga. "Sakura took down a few trees by using one of them as a weapon."

The thought amused him briefly. He could just imagine the sight of Sakura grabbing a tree that towered over her completely, stunning those around her, before taking them all out by attacking with said tree.

"It must have been a large tree."

"It was."

In all honesty, Itachi didn't mind Neji's presence. The man was calm and always seemed at peace with nature and life, which was something he admired greatly. At that point in time, he was staring up into the sky, counting and watching the birds closely as they soared through the skies, desperate to get away from the training session.

Then, he looked back to Itachi expectantly. "Would you like to join us, Taichou?"

It had been a while since he last sparred – all out, he meant. Against his soon-to-be former squad, he knew he would have no choice but to hold nothing back, for together, they were impossible to beat alone. It was definitely a refreshing challenge.

"Lead the way."

Without another word, he did so and Itachi's amusement grew at the sight of one of Konoha's largest training grounds. It was utterly ruined, with trees laying across the clearing and craters marring the once freshly cut grass. There was smoke coming from one or two of the craters, informing him that it wasn't only Sakura who was causing the destruction.

"Are you not participating?"

Neji looked over his shoulder at him. "I am. I'm simply biding my time."

Formulating a plan that would actually be useful. Itachi understood what he was saying, however, he could not agree for once. For once, he simply wanted to dive in and get involved, to stretch his legs for the first time in over a month. Barely having any time for training was going to affect him negatively in the long run.

A second later and his sharingan was activating, darting over to the left and he shot forward without any warnings, ducking under Sakura's deceivingly tiny fist. The surprised expression was not lost on him and he offered her a smirk before disappearing from her sight once more and reappearing behind her.

"You are in a bad mood today."

He heard her teeth grind together. "No shit."

She spun, but he met her head on and caught her fists. The ground gave way slightly beneath their feet at the collision of their strengths. "Are you fully healed?"

There were a few new additions to her once flawless skin and at the sight of her new scars, his eyes narrowed fractionally, but apparently his reaction was not appreciated because her knee suddenly slammed upwards and Itachi just barely managed to dodge. The attack would have easily broken his ribs.

The scars on her arms… They could almost pass for a suicide attempt. They looked like she had slit her wrists vertically. However, the scars grew more jagged towards the end of them, signifying that the blade had tried to force its way upwards and there were exit scars on the other side of her arms, too. Had she been pinned?

Itachi once more ducked beneath her fist, grabbing the back of her shirt and spinning her roughly before she was being slammed into the ground, leaving Sakura breathless and dazed. But she wasn't down for long as she immediately shot up and tackled him with an angered growl. Just as she was about to grab him, however, her eyes went wide and expression became pained. Her hand shot downwards, clutching at her side and her breathing became harsh.

"Sakura-"

Green eyes snapped to his when he reached for her. "_Don't_ touch me!"

Their other teammate dropped by their sides and Sai tilted his head to the side. "This must be what others have referred to as her time of the month."

Shisui soon joined them with a sigh of annoyance. "Those comments don't help the situation, Sai-kun."

But Itachi was paying no attention to the newcomers, not since he had… he'd just been rejected. It was such a strange sensation. Previously, Sakura had always welcomed his support and comfort and had always been grateful when he tried to help her, but just then…

"Perhaps it would be best to call it a day," Shisui suggested. Just as he was about to pat Sakura's shoulder, however, she yanked herself out of his reach, stunning Itachi further. "Sakura, you're hurt."

"I can still train."

Neji appeared next, his eyes narrowing. "Don't be so stubborn and masochistic."

She… wasn't.

There was that grief again. The look that made her entire features darken, like her heart was ripping into pieces and Itachi found himself wanting to shield her from the pain. His previous findings were all blown straight out of his mind as he watched the show of agony and loss on her face and he wondered if the others could see it. If they could, they weren't saying anything.

Stepping back, he regarded her silently before holding his hand up in the sign of confrontation.

She paused.

And then, for a brief second, gratefulness shot across her face, right before she ran forward and attacked.

He blocked and dodged her fists with ease. It seemed that, while usually she sought comfort from gentle physical interactions, this time, she needed an outlet of sort. That outlet happened to be in the form of sparring, where she would be able to release her pent up rage and grief and anguish. But their other teammates – well, her teammates – assumed that, because she was a woman, it meant she needed comforting in a more careful, gentle manner. Had it been a man, for example himself, then Shisui wouldn't have thought twice about a sparring session.

The woman before him was not so easily broken.

He had seen her potential.

She was not weak.

"You can do better than this, Sakura," he goaded and stepped backwards. The fist that would have connected with his face swung around, heading straight back to her and Itachi used her momentum to knock Sakura off balance with a simple swing of his leg, giving himself more distance. "What happened to your strategies?"

It was said that Haruno Sakura was capable of coming up with several strategies at a time and had come not third, but second in the Academy assessments. She was only outranked by Nara Shikamaru.

"Screw the strategies!"

Oh?

Catching onto his thoughts, the others joined into the spar and noticing this, Sakura's eyes narrowed and she went after the one closest to her: Sai.

She ran at him at full speed, but just as Sai prepared himself for a fist, Sakura jumped, using her built up speed to go through the remainder of the distance until her feet landed firmly into his side, knocking him back and catching herself by placing a hand onto the ground and flipping until she was the right way up. Itachi assessed his injuries with a critical eye before realising that she hadn't used any chakra. That didn't mean it wouldn't be painful – it simply meant he wouldn't die from it. So she _was_ thinking about her actions, much to Itachi's relief.

The next to approach her head on was Shisui, but he swiftly dodged the roundhouse kick that would have no doubt rendered him unconscious. And that was only if she wasn't using her chakra to enhance her strength. There was still a great strength coming from it, however, because Shisui's hair was blown sideways and he was forced to strengthen his stance with chakra. When her foot fell to the ground once more, it gave way, crumbling beneath her.

Neji stepped in next, his hands moving quickly and forcing Sakura onto the defensive. Several times, he clipped her, but that was more than enough to close down a few of her chakra pathways and it showed in the dropping of one of her arms. It hung uselessly by her side, dangling and becoming a hindrance.

Her foot slammed into the ground and Neji had to retreat, but it only made room for Shisui, who came in from above with his katana at the ready. The only way to protect herself was by grabbing two kunai and catching the katana, holding it in place. It was a struggle for her, though and it was clear by the strain on her features.

He was surprised that she had managed to reopen her chakra pathways so quickly.

Itachi paused, watching for a moment, and was left utterly stunned when tears of frustration filled her green eyes, the colour becoming even brighter.

Those eyes soon darted around, taking them all in and in that single second, to him, Sakura looked like a cornered animal. She was taking in deep gulps of air, barely even looking as though she was actually breathing out and her bottom lip was beginning to quiver.

Her kunai fell to the ground and the only thing stopping Shisui's katana from coming down on her head were his reflexes.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

Shisui sheathed his katana, though he didn't look away from her. "Sakura-"

But she raised her hands and stepped away, signifying her wish to be left alone and untouched. "I… I can't… I need to go. I-"

Cutting herself off, she turned and ran.

* * *

…She was hurting. Greatly.

It felt as though an unbearable weight settled onto his shoulders at the sight of her tears, at the sight of such a powerful young woman collapsed against a tree, with her face buried in her hands and her entire body shaking with her silent sobs. It was obvious Sakura was trying to be quiet so she wouldn't attract attention.

It was a shame for her that he'd spent the better half of a day focused entirely on her chakra. There was no way that he would miss it now that she was growing stronger once more.

There was no reaction when he knelt in front of her, nor was there a reaction when he sighed softly.

"What happened, Sakura?"

She knew he was there and she knew that _he_ knew she knew he was there. However, Sakura seemed uncaring of that fact and instead shook her head viciously, unable to speak a single word.

His undoing was the meeting of their eyes and his breath left him like he'd been punched harshly in the gut at the sight of her internal agony.

He reached for her just as she fell against him, wailing loudly into his chest and Itachi shut his eyes, doing his best to block out the sounds. It wasn't pain she was in – it was agony. Unbearable, heart-shattering agony and all he could do was hold her. In that moment, he, Uchiha Itachi, had no idea what to do except for hold her.

He had never felt more useless in his entire life.

The hold he had on her strengthened when her body shook and a small crease formed between his eyebrows. Fortunately, it didn't take her too long to gain composure and once she had even the smallest of grasps on it, he cupped her face and leaned back, getting a good look at her face.

There was so much helplessness, so much sorrow and anger.

His forehead pressed to hers.

It was like he was gazing at his own reflection.

At that thought, a memory flashed through his mind and his lips twitched upwards for a fraction of a second before they pressed to hers softly.

"W-Why…?" she breathed when they parted and he opened his eyes.

"Because it took the heavy look in your eyes away," he repeated her previous words. "Because the moment was there." Smiling, Itachi then told Sakura, "Take your pick."

The tears returned. "I…"

There was some kind of plea to her voice. There was a begging that could be seen in her eyes. What was she begging of him? What was she asking him to take notice of?

He frowned and his thumb stroked beneath her eye. "What happened, Sakura?"

Would she tell him of her stalker? Did she trust him enough to tell him that information?

She shook her head stubbornly, silently and unknowingly answering his question. "You don't trust me."

What? "Sakura-"

But Sakura was adamant in her decision. It was in the defiant look that shone in her eyes. Who was this loyalty for and why did they have it? Who was the mysterious stalker and why did his stomach tie in knots at just the thought of that person?

"When you trust me, I'll tell you everything."

The promise was fierce.

And he would hold her to it.


	32. Who Am I Living For?

**Chapter 32**

**Who Am I Living For?**

* * *

"What's wrong, Haruno? You can send them here but you're too soft to see what happens?"

She breathed deeply through her mouth once her back was turned, trying her best not to throw up what was left in her stomach. Behind her, Ibiki stood tall and strong with an expression of deep loathing and annoyance. He had never liked her.

The smell of blood and suffering and hatred clung to every inch of the box cell – it made her want to pull her hair out, to scream out loud, to cry and beat her fists into the floor until the entire building was reduced to rubble. Inhumane. It was all so inhumane. The blood on the walls was a mixture of wet and dry and showed a variety of shades for anyone who didn't know what it looked like when it was in the various stages of drying. It was crusty and dirty and it made her feel self-conscious, like _she_ was the one who put it there, or like it was on _her_ skin instead of the cement walls.

But… In a way, Sakura supposed she did have a hand in putting it there, didn't she? Like Ibiki stated: she sent them there. Maybe not this guy, but she did send people to him.

With a gentleness even she had no idea she possessed, she turned the man onto his back and her eyes saddened at the haunted expression on his face. Apparently he didn't even know what was happening, or that he was being touched. Hazy blue eyes stared sightlessly up at the cracked, bumpy ceiling and Sakura wondered what memory he was clinging to as his salvation.

"Get out, Morino," she snapped coldly without so much as glancing over in his direction.

"Haruno-"

Her eyes shot to his, deadly serious. "Don't make me repeat myself."

The brute hesitated, his dark eyes fixed on hers with the same cold, deadly expression. In the back of her mind, she was frightened of him and the things he was capable of doing to a person. However, in that moment, all she saw was a monster that needed scaring off.

Sakura simply wouldn't have thought that it'd be one of her own she was fighting against.

"Half an hour," he stated, trying to gain back some control. "Have him healed and ready for the next interrogation."

She stared him down, waiting until the door slammed shut before turning back to the broken man laying on the hard floor. Saying that he was a mess was too much of an understatement and briefly, Sakura wondered if that was how she would describe her own mental well-being.

Shit…

They'd made a mess of him, all right. The guy's insides were almost liquefied, every visible part of his skin was horrifically burned and mangled and she didn't even _want_ to think about what state his mind was in.

Morino Ibiki was a monster, it was plain and simple. He did whatever he had to and he resorted to whatever measures he needed, to get the information that was required and it made her feel so sick. Sick because what made her any better? She sent people to him to be interrogated. At the time, it felt just. It felt like it was necessary to protect their village. But now she was witnessing the horrors of interrogation for the first time and it turned her stomach. It was taking everything to hold back her breakfast from making a reappearance.

The kindest thing to do would be to end the man's life. Nobody would know if she did it the right way and it would save him a hell of a lot of pain.

She could do it, right there.

She could end his agony.

But there was no way of knowing what important information was stored in his head, or how it would impact her village. How was she supposed to place one life above thousands? By killing him now, she could be starting a war, or could be signing everyone else's lives over to death.

Her hands shook.

_What was she supposed to do?_

_What would Itachi do?_

What a ridiculous question. Sakura knew for a fact that Itachi would side with the village, but then again, he wasn't in her position. He wasn't the one having to prep somebody who was only going to receive more torture.

_For the sake of the village…_

_For her home._

But was it even a home if it made her do things such as this? Tears threatened to fill her eyes as Sakura sucked in a sharp breath, forcing herself to toughen up and lock away her emotions. Emotions made you weaker and they made you vulnerable, but then again, what was wrong with a bit of vulnerability every now and then? She shook her head and gritted her teeth. Vulnerability was only okay when the village was safe. Only then could she relax with her precious people and reveal her emotional, vulnerable side.

A green glow illuminated the otherwise dim cell and Sakura shut her eyes, blocking out the sight and filling her mind with useless garbage to keep herself distracted.

Itachi seemed to have forgiven her. She wasn't sure why, but it put her a little on edge, like it was too soon to be forgiven. Surely he'd still feel even the slightest bit betrayed? It was his best friend, after all… Sakura shook her head. It had all been a misunderstanding and Itachi had realised that. Perhaps the only reason why he was being so nice now, was because of the state she had returned in – it had startled him, made him realise that life was too short for petty arguments and fights.

Still…

Something in her gut was telling her he was after something.

Only ten minutes had past before the man before her regained consciousness, his hazy eyes slowly focusing on her features. At first he was scared, then wary until finally, he settled on staring up at the ceiling, silently accepting her healing.

Another ten minutes dragged by and Sakura reluctantly pulled away. "Forgive me, but I can't heal you completely."

The man merely nodded. "I understand."

She sighed with annoyance suddenly, gazing down at him with disbelief as he pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing. "Why don't you just give them the information? The sooner you do, the sooner your pain will end."

But he didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked her, "What is your name?"

"Haruno Sakura," she replied without hesitation. "Yours?"

"Shinohara Yuki." The look he settled on her was piercing. His blue eyes were piercing and she felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "You're only young and I don't expect you to understand. I am not staying silent out of stubbornness. It is for the sake of my village."

Why did that shatter her heart? Why did it claw at her insides? Why did it make that beautiful, tortured man's face flash to the front of her mind, all the while screaming his name unbearably loud? His memories were still fresh in her head. She could still see the happy times and the sad times he'd experienced. Could still hear and feel everything he had, including how her own death had hit him. Whether he meant for her to see that particular memory or not would never be found out. All that was clear was the source of his suffering – everything he'd been forced to go through – was all down to their so-called village. Well, _his_ version of their village.

"I know what it means to give up everything for your village," Sakura replied in a voice that was rougher than she'd planned on it being and she knew that her own stare was just as uncomfortable as his. "But what nobody can seem to understand is that there are limits."

"We do what we must for our villages, but when does it end?" he agreed quietly, much to her surprise. "When will it be enough for them?"

Sakura looked away as the corners of her lips turned downwards. That was exactly what she wanted to know. So many had given their lives for their villages. Some were going as far as sterilising themselves to be able to have a higher success rate in their missions. Others annihilated their entire fucking clans and she just… couldn't understand.

"It is never enough. We give and we keep giving until our final breaths, but it's never enough for them. Not until we're dead."

"Then why are you still doing this?"

"Because I have a family," he said softly and then shrugged. "I have friends and a lover. No matter what happens to me, just the thought of them being home and safe…" A small smile was directed to her. "At the end of the day, deep down, we selfishly, yet selflessly, do what we have to, to protect _them_. Not the village or our Kage, but our precious people."

_In return, I ask that you keep Sasuke safe._

Tears threatened to fill her eyes and in response, Sakura shot to her feet and turned her back on the man, quickly wiping at them.

"Haruno Sakura."

She couldn't look at him. "Yeah?" she asked softly.

"You have a good heart," he told her quietly. "Don't let them take advantage of that."

The door before her swung open and she merely stared Morino Ibiki down as he came into view, his suspicious gaze narrowing at the sight of fresh tears.

"Understood."

* * *

It was like she just couldn't catch a break. Once she was done in one place, she was needed in another and Sakura sighed as she more or less dragged her ass up the endless flight of stairs that took her to the Hokage Tower. A chunin had been waiting outside the interrogation building for her and as soon as he saw her, he told her the Hokage wished to speak with her, before disappearing.

Oh, Sakura had no doubts in her mind what Minato wanted to discuss. It was about her last mission, which was over a week ago now. All of her wounds had healed save for a few bruises and cuts – they were being left to heal naturally, after all. They came with a few aches and pains, but nothing that was unmanageable. Besides, what right did she have to complain? At least she was alive.

She paused in her walk up the stairs and leaned back against the wall, looking out at the village.

His memories…

They hadn't deserved so many selfless sacrifices from her saviour. Even after they had wronged him so horrifically, so unforgivably, he still continued to protect them and now that she had seen the depths of how badly it affected him… It felt like somebody had reached right into her chest and ripped out her heart. What made it worse was that the two bastard members of the council were still alive in her timeline. They were still members of the council.

They may not have been as forward as Danzo was and they may not have been as active, but that made them so much worse, in her eyes. It meant that they were sly cowards and allowed others to do their dirty work, all the while they schemed and they plotted, using them all as their pawns in their sick games.

But Danzo was dead in her timeline, Sakura reminded herself and pushed off from the wall, continuing her walk up the dizzying number of stairs. Danzo was dead and his organisation, ROOT, had been disbanded. If she wasn't mistaken, then in the other timeline, Sai had been a member of ROOT. He had been used just as badly as the rest of them, if not even more so. He'd been brainwashed and had no idea how to understand his emotions anymore, if he even experienced them. That made him a victim.

Unlike every other time she was at the Hokage Tower, it was vacant. She didn't see many, if anyone, on her journey through the building and it felt eerie.

The doors to Minato's office were open and he was waiting for her behind his desk, reading through something on a sheet of paper. She knew that it was her mission report.

"You asked to see me, Hokage-sama?"

He looked up, stunningly blue eyes warming at the sight of her. They always had. Ever since she and Naruto became close friends, Minato welcomed her into his family like she was his own daughter, just as he had Sasuke. How painful was it to know that one of your 'children' now thought you were some kind of monster? Someone who attacked a man when he was vulnerable?

"I have a few questions about your report, Sakura-chan."

Shit. She knew it. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

He frowned softly and it felt ridiculous to admit that the confused expression was kind of adorable on him. "You say you faced both Hidan and Kakuzu." She nodded once. "I am not underestimating you or your abilities, but please confirm how you defeated them."

Sakura sighed and did her best to recall _his_ words. It was difficult, as she'd been doing her best to block it all out. "Kakuzu wasn't actually immortal. He had these… masks and each mask represented the heart he'd implanted into his body, prolonging his life. It's not a procedure I'm aware of, but it obviously worked."

Minato sat back in his seat and his eyebrows knitted together. "Meaning to defeat him, you had to defeat each mask."

Another nod. "I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for my reserves."

Maybe it was because of the years he'd spent behind the desk, or maybe it had been a long day, but either way, Minato did not question her response. Instead, he nodded in acceptance, inwardly stunning her with how easy it was. "And Hidan?"

"Hidan…" Her voice wavered as horrible memories assaulted her, but Sakura quickly cleared her throat and was thankful that Minato didn't ask any questions. He probably thought she was traumatised by the monster. "He only had one heart, but… It seemed he really was immortal – at least until I dismembered him and set the pieces on fire. There was nothing left of him but ash."

"What about Kakuzu's body?"

Shit._ Shit._ What did she say?

"Sakura-chan?"

"Sorry." She tried to smile reassuringly. "That's when the others attacked. I didn't have the chance to seal him away to bring him here. All I could do was dispose of Kakuzu the same way I did Hidan – burning the body."

Again, it stunned her how easily he accepted her lies. What the hell was going on? "Thank you for clarifying that, Sakura-chan. I trust that there is nothing else?"

Guilt wrapped around her throat, threatening to choke the life out of her. It was so easy because he trusted her. The knowledge was sickening. "Yes, Hokage-sama," she forced out.

"Well, then, that should be everything-"

The door to his office suddenly slammed open. However, Minato wasn't surprised in the least and merely sighed as his son entered the room, hands locked behind his head and a huge grin on his face.

"Sorry, Dad, but I'm stealing Sakura-chan for a while. She's been avoiding us since she got out of the hospital."

Just as their Hokage had, Sakura also sighed and she couldn't help the defeated look in her eyes. "That's because I know what you're going to say."

Naruto shrugged and at the motion, another entered the office. This person was less laid back and it was obvious his guards were up as he narrowed his dark eyes on Minato.

"Sasuke-kun," the man greeted quietly. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

Oh, no. Would a fight break out? Would Sasuke try to attack the Hokage? Did he still believe it had been him who attacked his father, or at least ordered it? There was no telling. As usual, she could not read the Uchiha or even predict what he was feeling.

It was deliberately that she stepped to the left, positioning herself in front of Minato and she stared Sasuke down silently.

He came to a stop.

Awkwardly, Naruto glanced between the three of him, exchanging shrugs with his father. All the while her eyes never left Sasuke's.

"I shouldn't have expected less."

"Sasuke-kun, don't," she warned.

"I'm not going to try anything," he replied coldly. "I came because this idiot here wanted me to join you both." Then, his gaze drifted to Minato's, once more narrowing fractionally. "My father and Itachi strongly believe you're not behind this. Shisui, too, actually. Those three never miss a detail, so until hard evidence shows up of you attacking my father, I'll follow their orders."

Minato sighed again and nodded, his expression lightening. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I am currently working with Itachi-san to find the person responsible. Do not forget that they got to the district by infiltrating my village. Somehow, they bypassed security that I helped create. I will find whoever did this and make Konoha safe once more."

Blue eyes rolled and Naruto groaned loudly. "That's good and whatever, but I'm really hungry…"

It was a natural reaction that her hand met the back of his head harshly and Naruto threw his head forward, howling in agony. She merely narrowed her eyes at him. "Stop being so rude, idiot."

"But it's true," came his whine as he clutched the back of his head, expression one of pain. "I haven't eaten anything all day because of training – I didn't even have breakfast."

Oh, poor him. Life had to be _so_ hard.

Sakura's eyes nearly widened a fraction.

Never had she ever been so hard on Naruto. Yes, he pissed her off and yes, she hit him more often than not, but that was because it was like a game to them now. She never actually put any strength into the blows unless she was _really _mad. What the hell was wrong with her?

Green chakra immediately flooded her hand and she pressed it to the mop of blond hair, seeking out the injury she knew for a fact would be there. Like she'd been expecting: it really had hurt him. And Sakura felt like the worst person in the world, because all Naruto had ever done was try to help her.

"Thanks," he mumbled and stood up straight, rubbing the tender spot.

She could only nod.

Sasuke sighed. "Let's go."

The two of them walked ahead, leading the way, but Sakura hesitated for a moment, staring down at her hands. The hands that were capable of saving a life and taking it just as easily.

_There was so much blood on her hands._

"Sakura-chan?" Her eyes snapped up to Minato's, a fraction wider than usual and something flitted over his expression, much too quick for her to know what it was. "Naruto's going to eat all the food if you don't hurry," he told her softly.

She could hear the words that wouldn't be said out loud: _it helps to be around friends._ But did it?

Instead of asking, Sakura nodded quickly and left the office before he could say anything else. In the back of her mind, something scolded her for leaving in such an abrupt manner, and that she should go back and apologise for her rude behaviour, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Where did you go?" Naruto all but yelled as she made it to the stairs. It seemed they'd been waiting for her. "We thought you got lost."

"Sorry," she murmured in reply. Sasuke frowned at her. "Where are we headed?"

"Ichiraku, of course!"

Of course. Naruto's favourite place to eat.

Once again, the blond led the way, chatting loudly to them as he walked several steps ahead, unknowingly letting everyone else they walked by in on their conversation. Sakura couldn't answer much, unable to find her voice, but did her best to participate in the conversation. By her side, Sasuke walked silently. She could feel his gaze repeatedly searching her features, trying to find something. Whatever he was trying to find, he obviously never found it, because Sakura could sense his growing frustration. Who was his frustration focused on? Himself? Her?

It wasn't until they were sat on the familiar bar stools that Naruto finally began to lay into her, just like she'd known he would.

"You're still not going to quit, are you?" His blue eyes, the exact same shade as his father's, were piercing as they bore into her. "Even after the state you came back in, you're still going to work for them."

She didn't answer. Not because she couldn't or because it wasn't allowed, but because she didn't want to. At the end of the day, even if she was one of their precious people, it didn't concern them what she did with her life – because that was what it was: her life. It'd be a completely different story if they were the ones in ANBU and she was the one stuck at jonin.

"You died," hissed Naruto. She was grateful that he was being considerate enough to keep his voice low. For now. "You died for nearly a whole minute."

Yes, she had. However, she was alive now and the pain she was in, both physically and emotionally, proved that.

Suddenly, his fists came down onto the bar and he shot up out of his seat, glaring down at her. "Stop being so selfish!"

"Selfish?" Sakura looked up from her bowl of ramen.

Was that what he truly believed? That her decision to remain in ANBU was selfish? That her wish to protect her precious people, even if it cost her both arms and legs, was selfish? Did they all think that? All of her precious people who knew the truth? Was it what her parents had thought when she approached them one day about joining the Academy, about wanting to be a kunoichi?

Blue eyes hardened.

"Back off, Naruto," Sasuke drawled.

"Why the hell should I?"

"Because it's not your life," she answered instead. Standing, Sakura placed down her half of the bill onto the bar and gave a strained smile to the worried Ayame. "Thank you for the meal."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, Sakura-chan. Don't-"

She froze, returning his previous glare to him over her shoulder when he reached out to her. "Don't touch me."

The hand stopped moving, freezing mid-air and the expression on his face told her that he was in pain, but in that moment, she didn't care. Since when the hell had Naruto become her father? Since when had he ever held the right to tell her what she could and couldn't do with her own damned life?

Sakura didn't take notice of the people staring at her in stunned disbelief as she stormed out of Ichiraku's, teeth grinding and fists clenching in anger. Of course they would have heard everything – the place was hardly secure. It didn't even have a real door! That idiot Naruto could have shared highly classified information and he wouldn't have cared in the least, not while he was so wound up.

Despite her anger, as Sakura turned onto her street, she froze and narrowed her eyes at the sight of a black dog sitting on her doorstep. Well, by _her_ doorstep, she really meant the doorstep of the apartment building, but she knew not to ignore her gut instinct. That dog was waiting for her and from what she could sense, she could tell that it was a ninken. Its eyes were intelligent and there was a strong chakra coming from it.

They made eye contact and the dog stood, watching her for a moment until it spun on its heel and trotted off, glancing over its shoulder to silently order her to follow.

_Dangerous. Don't follow it._

She didn't know whose dog it was, or why they were summoning her. However, there was every chance that it had come of its own accord. There was every chance that it belonged to someone who had suddenly taken ill, and was unable to make it to the hospital. It could even be a new addition to her former sensei's pack.

Raising her guards and preparing herself for anything, Sakura chased after the dog and as it picked up speed, confident that she was following, she broke into a run, sprinting down the less busy streets of Konoha.

The sudden turn left had her inwardly frowning and that frown transformed into a scowl as the dog took her in the direction of the training grounds. Chances of it being Kakashi grew, but something told Sakura it wasn't him. Even though it was extremely likely of him to make a request out there, instead of in the hospital… Kakashi's ninken had all been taught how to talk. This one seemed more like Akamaru, like it could only speak with its master.

It took her onto the second training grounds, one she wasn't familiar with. Team Seven had always trained on training grounds three, and her ANBU squad trained in one of the forests as it offered more privacy. Not a lot of people enjoyed being out there, especially in the Forest of Death. She herself hated training sessions there.

And then Sakura saw exactly who had been summoning her and she was just as much annoyed as she was curious.

"Oh?" She placed a hand on her hip. "So it was you, huh?"

Izumi turned to face them and stood up straight, hands resting at her sides. "You've been moping around for the past week and barely taking any notice of the things going on around you." Her face was blank, eyes empty and her tone was bland. Two seconds later and her summon disappeared in a cloud of smoke. "This was the only way to gain your attention."

"That so?"

"Spar with me." She didn't beat around the bush, did she?

"I'll humour you just this once." Sakura smirked. A new challenge was appreciated every now and then. "But don't go crying on me when I beat you into the ground, okay?"

Izumi's eyes narrowed, showing her displeasure. "You're weak." And suddenly, she was right by her side, startling Sakura with her speed as the woman muttered, "How can Itachi-kun ever love a woman who is so weak?"

Instinct had her clenching her fist, had her throwing her arm out and when she did, their fists clashed, both of their knuckles cracking in protest.

"Watch your mouth, Uchiha," she spat in return.

"Or what?"

All of a sudden, the fist connected to hers disappeared and Izumi spun, yanking a katana out of its sheath while her long hair shielded her expression. Again, it was pure instinct that had her reacting so quickly to the unpredictable woman. Her hand shot out, her fist half clenched and shielded in chakra to soften the blow on her skin as she snapped the katana in half. Still, Izumi swung what was left of the blade at her, the serrated, broken blade looking much more threatening now.

"What will you do, Haruno?" Izumi goaded. "You've got a hundred years before you can go up against me!"

Was that so?

In a pause the length of a heartbeat, the ground crumbled beneath them and Sakura dashed towards Izumi, using the jagged pieces of terrain to build enough momentum to leap into the air. Once she was up there, she was firing shuriken after shuriken, easily knocking the katana out of Izumi's grasp as one sliced across the back of her hand.

The woman leapt backwards to put more space between them, but she fell right into her trap and Sakura showed no mercy as she descended on her, fist clenched and drawing backwards before it was swinging forward. The force of her attack and the sheer volume of chakra used sent the Uchiha soaring across the training grounds. Years of experience helped her stick the landing, however.

"Be honoured." Izumi shut her eyes, a sly smirk on her lips. "Not many are privileged enough to see my sharingan. Itachi-kun had to wait a whole year."

What? Sakura could only watch with wide eyes as Izumi's snapped open, revealing not dark eyes, but instead red and black, the tomoe swirling intimidatingly.

"Let's see how you do against me now."

_Don't show any weaknesses._

The voice in the back of her mind kept her calm, kept her arrogant façade going as she once again placed her hands on her hips. "Is that supposed to be your ace?" she demanded with a harsh laugh. "I'll give you one thing: you're funny. Shame for you, I guess. A friend of mine always said that guys don't go for girls for their humour. Maybe that's why Itachi doesn't like you."

Izumi gritted her teeth and her eyes narrowed. "Your friend was an idiot, then. Hence why you used the past tense." All traces of her façade left her in an instant, leaving Sakura deadly serious. "What's wrong, Haruno? Touchy subject?" Her knuckles cracked under the sudden strain Sakura put them through as she clenched her fists. "Did your friend get themselves killed, eh?"

That was it.

She snapped.

"I'll kill you," she screamed and rushed forward, face flooding red with anger. "She would've used your ratty hair to mop the floor!"

"Is that so?"

Izumi dodged her flying fist with ease by taking a simple step backwards and when Sakura's leg swung through the air, she leaned backwards until her hair grazed the floor, though couldn't mask her surprise as the attack forced her to strengthen her stance, the sheer power radiating from the kick enough to change the air around them, threatening to knock her down.

"What's this?" Izumi slipped out from beneath Sakura, appearing behind her with a fake expression of concern. "Not getting emotional, are you? Would you like me to stop talking trash about your buddy?"

Sakura whirled around, arm swinging with her, but just as it was about to connect with Izumi's face, a hand wrapped around it and there was a grunt of pain as the person took the force of the blow. It sickened her to _hear_ the crack of bones as they gave way beneath her strength.

"Sakura-san."

Her eyes went wide at the arrival. As did Izumi's. "Lee-san!"

And there he was, standing right between them. Rock Lee, the boy who'd used Sabaku no Gaara as his personal punching bag during the preliminary chunin exams. Sakura felt her anger slipping at the genuinely concerned, yet equally serious expression on his face. What the hell had come over her?

His eyes drifted to over his shoulder, staring Izumi down. "You are an Uchiha, correct?"

Sharingan still activated as proof, she narrowed her eyes, deciding not to reply vocally.

"Yamanaka Ino-san was a fine kunoichi, Uchiha-san. She was also a very loyal friend when the time called for it." Lee's eyes narrowed dangerously and Sakura was floored to see such fierce anger shining in them. "Do not disrespect her by talking trash about her. It is something I will never forgive!"

Izumi took a step back, clearly realising that the sparring match wouldn't go any further and she glanced to Sakura, upper lip curling. "Until next time, Weakling Haruno."

Her fists clenched, despite one arm still being held uncomfortably tightly by Lee. "I'll be waiting, Damned Uchiha."

She smirked at that before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

As soon as she was gone, Lee released his lock on her, allowing Sakura to rub at her poor arm from where he'd held it. The once pale skin was now bright red and there was a print that matched the size of his hand, wrappings and all, but she knew she had no right to complain.

"Sakura-san."

She looked up hesitantly, fully aware that he was going to tell her off. "Lee-san."

But he surprised her by frowning. "You will only lie to me if I ask you how you are, won't you?" When all she did was stare in surprise, he continued, saying, "You will tell me that you're fine, even though I can tell you're not." Looking down at his hand, his frown deepened. "There was too much chakra in that attack, Sakura-san. It would have killed Uchiha-san had it connected – and it _would_ have connected. You knew that."

The only reason why it hadn't shattered the bones in his arm completely was because of his harsh training. Hesitantly, she reached out and gave a small smile when Lee silently held out his arm, allowing her to examine it and heal the minor fractures.

"Ino…" She also frowned. "Ino may have had her moments, but she wasn't stupid, Lee-san. She wasn't."

"I know," he replied quietly. "But you must not let others use her against you, Sakura-san. The only reason Uchiha-san said those things was to get a reaction out of you."

Yes, she knew that now, but at the time, she hadn't. All Sakura had seen was red. All she had felt was anger and grief.

When the green glow of chakra faded, he stretched his arm out, listening to the crack of his elbow before it fell to his side. "You are the smartest woman I know and I have always admired you." She couldn't help but blush at his kind words. It was rare for Lee to say anything negative about her. "But something is bothering you and stopping you from using that intelligence."

Her eyes lowered to the ground. There was no denying it. Not to Lee. And after a moment, her bottom lip began to quiver as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Lee's eyes saddened at the sight of her pain. "Is it because of Naruto-kun?"

Her gaze immediately snapped to his. "You know…?"

"Neji is my teammate, Sakura-san." He gave a strained kind of smile, like he was trying to comfort her somehow, but also experiencing inner turmoil himself. "And I am more observant than I look. I know that he has another team, and that that team is at a higher rank than jonin. I did not know for definite, however, that you were on that team until today, when I heard Naruto-kun shouting at you." His bushy brows furrowed, showing his displeasure. "He was wrong to shout at you in such a way. It upset me to have to stay out of it."

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

He sighed and suddenly sat down on the destroyed grass, patting the space beside him. After a brief moment of hesitation, she joined him. This was the side of Lee only a handful of people saw. Only those who had accepted his loud, challenging nature saw that the person beneath that hot blooded passion was actually quite charming and quiet when he wished to be.

His legs stretched out in front of him, stretching the muscles until he pulled them back in, folding them in front of himself. From the stench of sweat she could pick up on, Sakura could tell that he'd been training hard. He probably hadn't had the chance to end his workout properly, had he?

"When news of your return from that mission broke, Neji suggested that we visited you. Can you tell what was wrong with that request?"

No… Neji was concerned about his-

Oh.

"Even those who are labelled as geniuses have their moments of weaknesses." He tried to hide his smirk as Lee rubbed his nose, but there was no denying it. It was obvious that he liked the thought of Neji not being so perfect after all. "I already knew that he was not romantically involved with you, and he does not have many friends, because he rarely has a moment to himself outside of training and missions."

She frowned, feigning hurt. "What makes you so sure he's not madly in love with me, Lee-san?"

Lee laughed at that. It was a boisterous laugh as he threw his head back, reminding her of what it was like to be young and carefree again. Had she not known how genuine he was, she would have been hurt by his amusement, but Lee didn't have it in him to emotionally or mentally harm another person. He was too kind.

"He and Tenten-" Suddenly his eyes went wide and he shut himself up. "Forgive me, Sakura-san, but could you possibly pretend that you did not hear that?"

Oh. So that was how it was. Neji and Tenten? "Heard what?"

He smiled in thanks. Then, Lee told her, "I already knew about Neji's involvement in the higher ranks." It warmed her heart how he didn't outright accuse his teammate of being a member of ANBU. "And due to your disappearances as of late, at the same time as Neji's no less, I had my suspicions, but Neji's behaviour after your return confirmed those suspicions." Again, he smiled. No, it was a grin of relief. "I am really glad. That means both my precious people will be able to look out for one another."

Yes, they did. They always had one another's backs out on missions, not just because they were teammates, but also because they'd become friends in the past several months.

"His heart is much bigger than he lets on," she teased with a wink and in response, Lee blushed, quickly looking away. It seemed he'd yet to get over his crush, then. "Neji-san tries to act all cold and closed off, but we know it's not true, don't we, Lee-san?"

His grin returned. "Yes!"

For the first time in the past week, Sakura felt herself relaxing and she fell back onto the grass, staring up at the cloudless blue sky. Lee joined her a moment later.

"They can't accept it," came her quiet admission. "Sasuke-kun is more open to the idea now, but Naruto won't accept it at all. He blames Hokage-sama."

There was a deep sigh and Lee folded his arms behind his head, eyes shutting as he bathed in the heat of the sun. "Tenten is very much the same, Sakura-san. Her feelings for Neji are strong, so she worries about him all the time. She fears that something might happen, something she might have been able to prevent had she been there."

That was more or less exactly what Naruto had told her and it had Sakura sighing, too. In other words: Lee was trying to get across that Naruto still loved her. She'd always known that he had – ever since they met in the Academy – however, she didn't return those feelings and never had. She had done her best to discourage him, to let him down gently, but it obviously hadn't worked.

A soft smirk played on her lips.

_Ino-Pig, I always knew I was the irresistible one._

It broke her heart that she could no longer think of what kind of cocky retort she'd make.

"Please don't be sad, Sakura-san," he murmured quietly. It stunned her. How could he tell without even opening his eyes how she was feeling? "Naruto-kun will understand one day." Ah, he didn't. Not entirely, anyway, but Sakura decided she was okay with that. "And then he will be just as proud of you as I am!"

She tried to mask the bright smile, really she did, but it couldn't be helped. Hearing that somebody was proud of you was an amazing feeling. "Thank you, Lee-san."

He grinned.

* * *

"Shit!"

Sakura glanced between the oven and the direction of the front door, trying to determine which held more importance, before quickly opening the oven door, fanning the air as a puff of black smoke shot out at her. Coughing, she reached in with her oven mittens on, ripping the tray out and throwing it on top of the hob.

Useless.

She was useless at cooking.

All it had been was a crappy ready meal that took a mere half hour to cook, yet she couldn't even do that! Was it the oven? Were the temperature settings wrong? Was that possible?

More knocking.

"Shit." Oven mittens still on, she dashed over to the door, opening it roughly. "Sorry, there was a domestic-"

"I can tell."

Oh, great. What the hell was he doing here? Sakura smiled with false cheerfulness. "Hello, Sai."

Without permission, he entered her apartment and followed the black smoke into the kitchen. There were a few coughs, followed by a few mutters of disbelief and Sakura rolled her eyes, slamming the door shut and following him. There was no use in yelling at him for the rude entrance – he didn't understand it and would only do it again (though only to annoy her).

"This is the first time I have seen someone destroy something so simply cooked." He looked up at her from where he'd been inspecting the blackened meal. "Well done."

A blush of embarrassment stained her cheeks and she glanced over at the window, grateful that he'd at least had the decency to open it for her. "What do you want, Sai?"

"Oh, we have a mission." Sai turned to face her and then proceeded to inspect her attire. "However, you are in no state to speak with the Hokage like that."

It was laundry day! "This is perfectly acceptable to normal standards," she shot back with narrowed eyes.

"Normal standards are wrong, then."

"You…!"

"I will be waiting where it is safe to breathe." Another false smile and then he left the kitchen, choosing to stand in the safety of her living room. "Do not take long."

That bastard.

There wasn't much else to wear, because it truly was laundry day, so Sakura settled on her skirt, shirt and the haori Tsunade had bought for her after she passed the jonin exams. It was a style almost like the blonde's, except she wore a black skirt instead of blue pants, her shirt was cream instead of grey and the haori was red, the kanji saying 'fighter' instead of 'gamble'.

Her boots were in the living room, Sakura recalled, but as she went looking for them, she frowned at Sai, who was staring up at her photographs with his chin in his hand.

"What are you staring at?" she asked grumpily.

He didn't even glance at her, instead reaching up with the hand that had been on his chin and tapping a certain frame. "The girl in this picture. I would like to paint her."

_So that's how you reply now, Ino-Pig? By getting the guy who experiences no emotion to suddenly fawn over you?_

"Too bad." She sat down on the sofa, almost throwing herself onto it and reached for her thigh high boots that were at the side of it, shoving them on with more force than necessary. "She's dead."

"Oh." It sounded like he was genuinely miffed by the news and Sakura glared up at him from beneath her lashes. What, the first real emotion he showed had to be over a dead girl? Was that really how it worked? "She was beautiful."

She gritted her teeth and yanked the zip up. "Yep."

"Was she someone important to you?"

Sakura breathed in deeply. She wasn't in the mood for Sai's shit. Not today. "Yes."

Sai tilted his head to the side, regarding her as Sakura stood up and grabbed the pouch on the coffee table, checking its contents quickly. "Was she-"

"Sai." She stopped in her movements, features almost pleading. "I don't want to talk about Ino right now." Not to someone who didn't even know her, someone who simply liked the way she had looked. "Besides, we have a mission, right?"

He nodded.

* * *

Second time in the past two days. It seemed like Minato just couldn't get rid of her.

In the Hokage's office beside herself and Sai stood Shisui and Neji. The pair of them had been waiting with the Hokage for their arrival and Sakura hadn't been overly thrilled when Sai told them about her issue in the kitchen, saying that that was why they'd been so long. Shisui had laughed.

"Here is the mission scroll."

She frowned when it was held out to her instead of Shisui, who was now their squad captain. There were no arguments, however and she unravelled the scroll, green eyes dashing across the written kanji.

"This will be your next mission." Concern shone through his usual mask. "Sakura-chan-"

She shook her head, even though it was rude to cut him off. "It's for the sake of the village, Hokage-sama." Her expression was determined when Sakura looked up at him. "I accept my orders."

The first word to register in her mind…

_Seduce._

And she didn't feel a damn thing.


	33. Love Is A Battlefield

**Chapter 33**

**Love Is A Battlefield**

* * *

"_Ino! Ino! What do you think? I look pretty womanly, right?"_

"_Huh? Not nearly as much as I do!"_

* * *

Her hand brushed the fabric gently, a tender smile on her lips. It was strange how the smallest of things could bring back wonderful memories. She and Ino, despite all their claims of being mature, sophisticated women, had spent the better half of the day playing dress up in her mother's wardrobe, doing silly poses and laughing at one another when the necklines of the dresses slipped too low due to their lack of breasts at the time.

A sigh left her lips and the dress fell to the floor of her bedroom. It was her own fault really for failing to ask Minato for the week off, instead leaving it too late and only realising at the last minute why it was a bad time to be spent out of the village and on a mission.

And of all the missions for her to receive… It just _had_ to be a seduction mission, didn't it?

* * *

"_Say, Sakura?"_

"_What is it?"_

_The blonde looked out at the field, eyes downcast. "We're due soon, aren't we?"_

_All happiness faded as Sakura caught onto the meaning and in an instant, her eyes held the same sadness as her friend's. It was awful being a woman sometimes. It really, truly was._

"…_I guess it is."_

* * *

She gritted her teeth and joined the dress on the floor. Almost three years and she still stood by that childish, petty thought, because in some ways, it was true: it sucked to be a woman. Sure, men weren't free of the damned things either, but as women, it was expected of them to use their bodies as some point in their kunoichi career.

They hadn't liked it. The only way she and Ino had gotten through those wretched classes was because they stuck together, standing side by side and using one another to lean on. And on particularly stressful days, they didn't say a word as the other one wailed like a spoilt, scared child, instead allowing each other to get it all out.

Fourteen. They'd only been fourteen when they had to start their seduction classes and they had been terrified. Scared stiff at the thoughts of what would be expected of them. During those classes, you had to use your body's full potential, had to flaunt it and strip it and…

It was a nightmare.

Even Ino, the girl who had constantly gone on and on about how perfect her appearance was, and how amazing every inch of her flawless body was, struggled with the class. Like herself, Ino had been petrified at the mere thought of putting those lessons into action. Like herself, Ino had never wanted to be the poor kunoichi sent off on a seduction mission, where she would have to give herself to the target.

Sakura shut her eyes and forced herself to take a deep, calming breath.

_A mission was a mission._

* * *

Like only hours before, there was a knock on her door, though it certainly wasn't as abrupt as it had been the first time around. It helped to make her mood more pleasant as she answered, smiling politely at Sai as she allowed him entry. In his hands were several bags and Sakura didn't fail to notice the design on a particular one.

"Taichou thought it would be best to pick these up for you." He smiled, holding out the bags. "Considering your lack of experience."

Her own smile dimmed, eyes betraying her tiredness as she accepted them, quietly muttering, "Oh… Thanks, Sai."

Just as hers had, Sai's smile disappeared and his eyes opened, widening until it looked more natural. "Are you scared?"

What kind of stupid question was that? Of course she was! It was exactly how Sai had just said: she was inexperienced. However, none of them knew _how_ inexperienced she was. They didn't know that she'd never been touched by a man – or woman – before, at least not in a sexual way. Hell, her only experience had been the short kisses she'd shared with Itachi and Sakura highly doubted that those even classed as experience.

How was she supposed to be able to pull something like this off? How…?

_She wasn't even comfortable with her own body!_

"Sakura-san?"

"I'm not scared," she lied and offered him a fake smile. From the surprised look on his face, Sakura could tell that he bought it. "It's not so different from the lessons, right?"

Something about her words had him faltering in his reply, had his brows furrowing and in that split second, she was afraid he'd seen right through her, but if he did, then Sai didn't say anything and instead allowed her to continue with her façade.

"Everything you will need is in those bags." Turning, he told her, "Itachi-senpai is joining us on this mission, too."

"Understood."

As soon as the door was shut, she collapsed against it, eyes wide and scared and her hand grabbing a fistful of her hair. On top of the mission already being a failure… Itachi was accompanying them, too. What the hell was his problem? Wasn't he supposed to be off being harassed by his clan's elders? Though… Sakura gave a pained smile. It was kind of ironic. The Itachi of the other timeline had basically been stalking her from the shadows and now it seemed like her own Itachi wasn't leaving her side any time soon.

Fate was so cruel.

* * *

As soon as she was packed and had gone through all procedures to make herself more appealing, Sakura set off at a slow pace towards the gates. Her hold on the straps of her backpack was unyielding, like it was the only thing she could hold onto.

She hoped more than anything that she would be able to pull it together soon. Preferably by the time she made it to the gates, so that her teammates wouldn't see her in such an emotional state. Unfortunately for her, they were not going as ANBU, but instead mere jonin, meaning there were no masks to hide her impending meltdown. Why Minato had chosen for it to be that way, she would never know, though Sakura supposed it would be because she'd eventually have to take the mask off. It could potentially jeopardise the mission, should someone be tailing them without their knowledge.

They were all there, waiting patiently for her arrival, but as Sakura stepped a little to the side and was able to see further ahead, she was surprised to see Sasuke standing beside Naruto at the gate, seeing them off. Why were they there? It wasn't that long ago that Naruto had been screaming at her for being selfish in her choice of staying with ANBU.

Her pace slowed as she reached them, though instead of immediately greeting her team, her eyes were locked on Sasuke and Naruto's, who were standing a few feet away from them.

"We heard that you got another mission," Naruto informed her.

"Here." Abruptly, Sasuke held out his hand, further surprising her. "For extra protection." Dark eyes slid off somewhere, like he was trying to ignore how sentimental it all was. "You can lace them with your poison."

Did he know about her mission? Sakura accepted the box with both hands, opening it and a genuine, soft smile graced her lips. They were hair accessories – chopsticks, to be more exact. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

Then, her eyes drifted over to Itachi. As always, he was standing tall and proudly. He must have caught onto her thoughts, because he suddenly shook his head minutely, telling her without words that Sasuke and Naruto didn't know what her mission entailed.

It filled her with relief.

"Take care of yourself," Naruto ordered and his eyes narrowed. "Don't be coming back like last time, you hear me?"

Sakura did her best to smile at him, truly she did, but just thinking of her last mission had more and more grief washing over her in unmanageable waves. "Understood."

A pause.

And then the blond was all but throwing himself at her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I mean it, Sakura-chan," he muttered lowly into her ear. "Please don't come back like last time."

She nodded quickly, returning the hold just as strongly.

"I still can't believe Dad gave you a mission." Shaking his head, Naruto pulled away, his upper lip curling and eyebrows mashing together angrily. "It's almost the an-"

"Enough, Naruto," ordered Sasuke, not even sparing him a glance as he looked to his brother and Shisui. "Look after her."

"Of course."

Something in Sasuke's eyes shifted, demanded more attention, and it had Shisui glancing over at Itachi with a small amount of confusion. Itachi, however, simply nodded, clearly understanding what he was trying to get across. Whatever it was, Sakura honestly couldn't have cared less. Instead, she walked to the front of the group, pulling her cloak around herself more securely to fight off the late afternoon chill. Nobody else seemed all that concerned about it as they fell into step behind her, with Neji bringing up the rear, but again, she didn't care.

Maybe time away from the village would do her some good?

It was easier to stay hidden when travelling during the evening, though that was a double edged sword for obvious reasons, with the most obvious being that it meant others were able to mask themselves, also. That was why they had Neji at the back instead of the front – his eyes missed nothing. Both Shisui and Itachi flanked her, with Sai directly behind her and in front of Neji. Honestly, she dared anyone to try and ambush them, because it would not end well for them.

Not only was she leading the way because this was _her_ mission, but it was also because of her skills as a medic. No, not healing, but dodging and making sure she was never in the line of fire. It was because of her reflexes and how quickly she was able to dodge an attack – it was second nature now and half the time she didn't even have to think about it.

"We should be there within the hour if we move fast," Shisui informed them all.

The place was only small with a population of around three hundred, maximum. It was the kind of village where everyone knew one another by name and if one person went missing, they all noticed.

That was what her mission was for.

Sakura picked up speed before jumping up into the trees, setting the pace that would get them to the village before nightfall.

Her mission was to seduce somebody who was a suspected kidnapper and murderer. The village was too soft-hearted to outright accuse him of anything, just in case it turned out that he wasn't the one who was committing such unforgivable crimes. So, the village secretly turned to shinobi, who were capable of spotting the tell-tale signs. The reason why she specifically was chosen was because of her youthful appearance.

The suspect, much to her anger and displeasure, had a thing for children.

It confused her, though. If they were so sure that he was the one kidnapping their children, having his way with them then murdering them, surely they would lash out at him? Sakura knew that, had she been the parent of a child who was abused and murdered so horrifically, there would be nothing, absolutely nothing, that could hold her back from destroying that bastard. Those people had to be saints. That was all she could think.

She had always been wary of the fact that her appearance… Well, if she was ever asked to do a seduction mission, then it obviously meant her intended target had a thing for children, for lack of better words. While she had obviously grown in the past few years, Sakura knew she was still classed as petite and should she dress a certain way and act a certain way, then she knew she would pass as a child, though certainly no younger than eleven.

"Since the village is close-knit, I think it'd be best if we stopped at an inn somewhere along the way," she suggested and glanced over her shoulder at the four men behind her. "That way we can come up with a plan without giving ourselves away."

They nodded in agreement, with Neji murmuring, "It would be best to get this over with as soon as possible."

"I agree," came Itachi's reply.

It made them all uncomfortable, no doubt about it. To try and distract herself, Sakura wondered about Itachi's involvement in the mission. Why was he coming with them? What about clan responsibilities? What about the transition to patriarch?

Only half an hour passed before an inn came into view. They dropped to the ground not too far from it and made their way inside. When on missions, should you require somewhere to stay, it was imperative to get the receipts so that the Hokage would be able to reimburse you. The four men got two double rooms between themselves, whereas she got one to herself – a perk of being the only woman on the team (only if your teammates respected your need for privacy, that was).

After setting up the bedrooms to make sure nobody broke in during their absence, they proceeded to have the meeting in her room. Sakura sat on the foot of her bed with her legs folded, while the rest of them sat at the traditional table situated in the centre of the room.

"This is your mission, Sakura," Shisui stated, looking over to her. "How do you want to do this?"

Her fingers played with the chopsticks Sasuke had given to her, twirling them around on her fingers until they became a blur. "I was thinking that one of you could accompany me," Sakura suggested and the movement stopped, the chopstick getting caught between her fingers. "Like a parent and child, kind of thing."

"It would require a henge jutsu," Sai added. "The one who is best should be the parent."

Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances and Sakura knew it was because their skills were growing closer and closer each and every day. "Either one of you." She shrugged. "I know I can trust you both with my life."

The older of the two threw Itachi a smirk. "How about you do it, Itachi? There's no telling when your next mission will be."

He simply nodded and looked back to her. "There is less chance of the suspect acting if I pose as your father, however. Going off the reports, it is clear that he only attacks when the child is alone or with their mother."

As much as it aggravated her, it was the truth. The bastard truly believed that the mother was weaker, even though it wasn't necessarily true. The mother didn't even have to be a kunoichi to be tough. Damn it, her own mother showed true strength all the time, with the simplest of tasks, whereas her father was a lazy ass who lounged around on the sofa all day, as of late. For the mission, however, it would be best if Itachi posed as her mother, even if it did piss her off that the suspect underestimated the strength of mothers.

The thought of calling Itachi 'Daddy' flashed through her mind and she was certain it made her pale somewhat. How messed up did a girl… She shook the judgemental thoughts from her head. People were entitled to their own kinks and turn-ons. If calling their partner 'Daddy' did it for them, then whatever. It just kind of… bothered her to think of calling Itachi that. Made her uncomfortable.

"Have you changed yourself into a woman before?" Sai questioned. "Will you be able to act like one?"

Green eyes returned to Itachi, waiting for his reply since she was quite curious, too, but the second their gazes locked, a cold sweat washed over her and a vicious memory that was not her own knocked the breath out of her lungs.

* * *

_It hurt._

_Gritting his teeth, he fought back the urge to cry out and instead gripped a tighter hold of the bedsheets. They reeked of sweat and blood and pain and now that he was there, pinned against them, he could fully understand why._

Stop_, he wanted to beg._

Please stop_, he wanted to cry out._

* * *

"Sakura?" Faintly, Itachi frowned.

"You're trembling," Shisui commented and he also frowned, standing up and making his way over to her. His hand came to her sweaty forehead and the frown deepened. "Are you sick?"

Oh, Gods…

Breathing harshly, she glanced down at her trembling hands. No doubt her entire body was trembling, too. What the hell was that? Why had she seen it? Did Itachi…? Sakura swallowed hard and once again met his eyes. No, it hadn't been him – at least not this timeline's Itachi – who showed her the memory.

Yes, he'd posed as a woman before and had used 'her' body to seduce a target. Several times, in fact.

"Sakura."

Her eyes snapped up to Shisui's, a fraction wider than usual. "S-Sorry." Warily, she glanced around the room, meeting each of their gazes until she pulled herself off the bed, shakily rushing over to the bathroom. "I… I need a minute."

Just as the door was about to shut, she heard Neji murmur, "It's the anniversary of-"

She slammed the door shut before she could hear anymore.

* * *

An hour later, she left the bathroom, having used the time to shower and wash away the sweat. It had been necessary, anyway, but it helped her gain some composure and force down the haunting memory. For now, she would not think of it – couldn't think of it. It would only distract her from the mission.

Fortunately, since the others had been in her bedroom and they had been planning on setting out soon, Sakura had decided to leave her belongings in the bathroom. After all, a shower was necessary and she knew she would have to change.

It had been a while since she last wore such a young dress, so it was good that Sai had gone out and purchased the outfit for her. Her breasts were practically squashed against her chest now due to her bindings and she was careful of breathing too deeply, as it hurt somewhat. Yes, she was used to wearing bindings and did so daily, but not so tightly. There was still a minute bump were her breasts were, but that was easy to cover with the dress. No parent dressed their child in skin tight clothing, after all.

Under the dress that flared out halfway down was a long-sleeved, turtle-neck shirt. Just in case it came off at some point (it couldn't be avoided, sadly), she had covered her ANBU tattoo with a henge. The same went for her seal and hair, too. Now, her hair was black. She'd been thinking of Itachi when she did it, remembering that his hair had still been dark and long even while transformed as a woman.

Sakura shook the memory away and once more glanced at her reflection, making sure there was no way of seeing through the disguise.

She was wearing tights beneath her dress, since it only fell to mid-thigh and there were pockets at the bottom of the dress, which she would fill with something childish once they arrived at the village.

Knee high boots were soon pulled on and Sakura once again looked herself over with a critical eye. Pressing down the sides of her dress, she frowned. It seemed her hips had flared more than what she'd previously noticed. A simple tweak of the henge sorted it, however and once she was done, she left the bathroom.

Unsurprisingly, they were still in her bedroom and each of their eyes widened at the sight of her.

"How is it?" she asked and gave a twirl.

"Believable," came Neji's reply.

"You don't look that different," Sai added cheerfully.

Sakura didn't rise to the bait and instead glanced over at Itachi. "I've left my hair down so that you can put it up with the chopsticks while we're there."

"Mother-daughter bonding," Shisui commented and nodded once, agreeing with the plan.

Fractionally, Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Your breathing is too shallow, Sakura."

She rolled her eyes. "Bindings can hurt if they're too tight."

"Perhaps another henge-"

Swiftly, she cut Sai off. "We don't know if the suspect can sense chakra, or if they're a rogue-nin or not. I've used too much chakra on my appearance as it is." Good thing she was fairly short or else they'd be screwed. "How old do you think I look?"

The Uchiha paused, eyeing her critically. "I would say around twelve or thirteen."

A pause the length of her heartbeat went by before his hands formed a single seal and he transformed himself. His skin aged at least a decade and his eyes had lightened in colour, though were nowhere near as bright as her own. They were more like a deep forest green. Reaching up, he pulled the tie from his hair, allowing it to fall around his shoulders and over his breasts.

Wow…

Sakura had honestly never thought she would ever use 'his' and 'breasts' in the same sentence before. It was so… She blinked in surprise, very much like the others did (except for Shisui, who seemed used to seeing this form by now). Insane. That was the word she wanted to use. It was insane how beautiful Itachi was as a woman. He looked almost exactly like his mother, Uchiha Mikoto, save for the eyes and the pronounced tear troughs.

"I have a dress you can borrow." Another thing she'd never thought she'd say – at least not to Itachi. "There are shoes, too, but…" Sakura glanced down at his feet and bit her lip, amused as an old joke came to mind. "You need to make your feet smaller."

It only took a handful of seconds for the two of them to go into the bathroom and grab her storage scroll, releasing the qipao dress and heels, along with a pair of pants to go beneath it. There was a pause in Itachi's acceptance of the items, his now dainty hands hesitating to take the heels.

"You can walk in heels, right?" she asked, frowning up at him.

"I can learn."

Oh, dear… "I have some silicone pads that will make them more comfortable."

He nodded gratefully and she headed to the door, glancing over her shoulder and offering Itachi a comforting smile. "Thank you for supporting me, Itachi." _It can't be easy with such a tragic past…_ "I really appreciate it."

Another pause. Another frown. But then he returned her smile, unknowingly upsetting her with how unfairly beautiful he was as a woman. Their suspect would more than likely go for him than her now, but even if he did he would still be screwed.

The door shut behind her quietly and Sakura made her way over to the bed, grabbing her chopsticks. They were dark in colour, almost black, so they would match the outfit.

"We are merely back up," Shisui informed her when the silence dragged out for too long. "So when we get to the village, we will watch from the shadows. Itachi, however, will obviously remain by your side."

It was because of the way her last mission had ended. None of them were saying the words and she didn't need them to. Minato had sent so many of them just in case something happened, or maybe it was because he was still unsure about her mission report.

"Understood." Turning, she threw herself down onto the bed, recalling a few of her childhood mannerisms as she kicked her legs about restlessly. Children didn't have much patience. "How's the voice? Do I need to change it at all?"

Much to her relief, Neji nodded once. "Higher."

"Only by a couple of octaves," added Sai. He tilted his head to the side as she hummed a few tunes, listening carefully as she altered her voice before quickly interrupting her with a, "There."

They didn't have to wait long for Itachi and when he – she – left the bedroom, Sakura sat up, eyes going up and down his feminine body. Thankfully, he'd taken into consideration while transforming himself that his legs needed to be hairless (honestly, what woman had hairy legs nowadays, other than those who couldn't be bothered shaving because it was winter).

The qipao was one of her personal ones and she was surprised to find that Itachi had morphed his body into fitting it perfectly, though after a moment she felt a little miffed. Of course her dress would look better on a man than her. It didn't matter if Itachi was transformed into a woman. It still bugged her. The pants worked to keep his modesty, for there were slits going up the sides of the qipao and they also helped to downplay the outfit, so that he wouldn't seem too overdressed. The heels would hopefully be broken in by the time they got to the village, as it was obvious he was new to wearing them.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing to the bed. Narrowing her eyes, she watched how he walked in the heels, sighing. "Back straight, heel down first."

Itachi nodded, following her instructions before finally sitting down on the bed, folding his legs beneath himself. It obviously annoyed him having to accommodate to being a woman, making sure he wasn't flashing and whatnot, but that annoyance was soon masked with ease.

Sakura sat down opposite him, shuffling closer and reaching for a pouch at the same time.

"Most older women wear makeup to hide the tell-tale signs of age," she told him while opening said pouch, revealing several products. "I won't put too much on you, though – about the same amount I usually wear."

He frowned down at her. "You wear makeup?"

She smiled softly. "Only mascara and a tad of concealer if I'm breaking out."

Nodding, Itachi leaned forward slightly to make it easier and Sakura brushed his hair over his shoulder and behind his ears, making sure to keep it out of the way. The main concern were his tear troughs, which were still quite visible even through the henge, though that was easily hidden with a certain amount of foundation and concealer. It seemed wrong to add mascara, considering how long and thick his eyelashes already were, but she did so anyway, careful not to clump them together.

Much to her surprise, unlike anyone else who had their makeup done by someone else, Itachi didn't flinch once, even when the mascara brush grew closer to his eyes.

"Just a little bit of lipstick…" Sakura leaned closer, almost going cross-eyed as she added a thin layer of pale red lipstick to his full lips. Then, she smacked her lips together, saying, "Do this." She smiled. "Done."

It was stupid to be jealous, right? Even though Itachi was pretending to be a woman… It stung that he could do it so easily, that he was so beautiful as one. Then again, it was obvious from the memories swirling around in her head that such beauty came at a high price.

_Again!_ Sakura nearly screamed at herself as she once again shoved the thoughts from her mind, forcing herself to stop thinking about his memories.

"Remember: you must act as parent and child," Sai reminded them, his gaze critical as he looked between them.

She frowned. "You don't need to remind us-"

"There is a strange tension between you both," he told her carelessly. "Make sure it doesn't show."

Oh, she was going to murder him. The only thing that stopped her was the hand that was placed onto her shoulder, keeping her still before she even tried to advance on his pale ass.

"Don't rise to it, Sakura," Itachi murmured.

Strange tension her ass. That Sai had better watch his back from now on, she huffed with annoyance and once more threw herself down onto the bed, legs dangling over the side. There was _no_ strange tension between herself and Itachi and even if there was, she would know about it.

Shisui smirked knowingly. "Perhaps we should discuss what your story will be?"

She refused to sit up. Sakura knew that if she so much as glanced in Sai's direction, her damned boot would be coming off and hitting him in the face.

Instead, Itachi answered, seemingly aware of her violent mood and wanting to keep the bloodshed to a minimum. "We are merely passing through to visit family out in Yuki no Kuni."

The others seemed to agree with their plan and so she committed it to memory. The less she knew, the better, since nobody would expect a child to know all the tiny, intricate details. If she began spouting their schedule and plans, then they would grow suspicious.

Neji stood up from his place at the coffee table, soon followed by the other two. "Are you ready, Sakura?"

Reluctantly, though not showing it, she looked up at him. So he knew, then? It didn't really surprise her. Even though his team was a year old than the Rookie Nine, they were still close enough to understand moments such as those.

"Yeah." Standing, she brushed down her dress and did her best to smile.

Now wasn't the time to be feeling emotional or weighed down by personal struggles.

Right now, she had a mission to complete.

* * *

The village was ordinary. Since it was still in Fire Country, it was surrounded and filled with wildlife and nature. It was by no means behind on the times, though it was obvious it was still a close-knit village that kept to themselves whenever they could. The only times they called for outside help, such as themselves, was when they truly couldn't handle matters themselves.

Sitting on the freshly cut grass in the park, Sakura folded her legs and put on a pout, fingers tearing at the blades of grass.

"Chika-chan," her 'mother' scolded her lightly. "Don't be so destructive. Leave the grass to grow."

Her pout grew more pronounced as she sighed dramatically. "There's no one to play with, Mama. I'm _bored_," she forced more emphasis onto the word and stretched out, falling back against the grass. "This place is so boring."

Sighing, her mother knelt beside her and silently urged her to sit up, soon settling down behind her. Without a word, she began to play with her hair, her long, thin fingers running through the strands and unknowingly making her shiver whenever her fingers grew too close to her neck. Damn it, her neck had always been a ticklish spot of hers.

Soon enough, there was a bun sitting on the top of her head and once it was looking neat and tidy, she felt her mother slipping the chopsticks into place, telling her without actually speaking that their suspect was nearby and watching them.

"Leave them in, Chika-chan," she ordered softly and stood up, brushing her hands down her qipao to make sure there was no grass stuck to it. "No taking them out when my back is turned."

She grinned, making the peace sign and sticking her tongue out. "I can't promise anything!"

It still struck her how much her 'mother' looked like Mikoto, right down to the gentle smile and the tilt of her head as she did it. Were they mannerisms Itachi had picked up? Did he do them without knowing?

"How about I go and get us some food? We can have a picnic here."

None of the other children were out, despite it being a weekend, but they already knew why that was. The other parents were too frightened to let their children out of their sight – no, even _in_ their sights, they weren't entirely safe. The suspect was known to snatch children even while they were with their mothers, but always kept his hood up to prevent his face being seen.

That being said, it was rather sexist that they immediately assumed it to be a man, Sakura thought after a short pause.

"Yeah!" A bright grin lit up her face. "Can we have dango, too?"

There was a pause and then her mother returned her bright smile. "I don't see why not."

With that decided, the older woman left, taking slow, careful steps to avoid her heels sticking into the mud. Honestly, Sakura hadn't planned on them going to the park to try and attract the attention of their suspect, but after wandering around and holding hands for well over an hour, they had decided to go to basics and wait for him to come to them.

It was getting on into the evening now and soon enough, the sun would have disappeared completely. Travelling through the forest had been much darker due to how closed in it all felt – there were barely any gaps between the trees, meaning not a lot of daylight got in. Out in the open, however, such as this village was, meant there was still some daylight left. Not only that, but they had streetlights, too.

Rolling around and onto her stomach, Sakura reached out and plucked up a flower, smiling to herself when she immediately noticed that it was a cosmos.

"Hello."

Startled, she shot up onto her knees, eyes widening childishly at the sight of a young man standing mere feet from her. When had he made his way over? _How_ had he made his way over? Was it because her mind was preoccupied?

"H-Hello," she replied politely.

Crouching low, he smiled at her. It was a handsome smile. Even though he had his hood up, using the shadows to hide the upper half of his face, she could still see the fullness of his lips, the whiteness of his teeth and the strong jawline.

"What are you doing out here so late?" he asked, not unkindly. Another smile. "Nowadays, the parents are very wary about leaving their children alone out here."

Suspicion laced around her, though she didn't let it show as she grinned almost as brightly as before. "Mama's gone to get some food and we're going to have a picnic."

"A picnic, huh?" came his impressed reply. "I haven't had a picnic in years."

"Really?" She faked her gasp.

"Really."

Her grin faded into a smile. "Maybe you could join us, then?"

"Maybe I could."

Creep. Every single one of her instincts was telling her to run. At that moment in time, she was the one who was weaker and so her instincts were instructing her to side with flight instead of fight.

"What's your name?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"My name is Couseki," he replied with ease. "And yours?"

_Bingo._

It was their suspect, after all. What an idiot. How could they have not captured him by themselves?

"Chika!"

"Well, Chika." His voice was soft and there was a gentle lilt to his tone. "How about we go and surprise your mother by bringing her something for the picnic?"

She bit her lip and glanced around them, frowning. "But… Mama said I shouldn't leave the park without her."

"It will only take a couple of minutes," Couseki assured her and he stood up, stretching his limbs. "Besides, wouldn't it be a nice surprise for her? I'm sure it is always your mother who does all the work, right?"

More indecision showed on her features, though Sakura made a point to show that she was leaning more on his side than her mother's. It was hard to believe that somebody would fall for such obvious lies, but then again, children were so naïve and innocent. If a stranger went up to them, telling them that it would be a nice surprise for their mother, then who would resist that?

Couseki held out his hand. It was large and when she hesitantly placed her own inside his, it dwarfed her hand completely and she could no longer see it when his closed around hers.

"Good girl," he told her with a smile. "Now, what is your mother's favourite food?"

They began a brisk pace and she pretended to struggle to keep up. "Um… Dango, I think."

The end of the park was growing closer and she noticed that they were heading towards an alleyway of sorts. It was dark and had she not been who she was, had she truly been a child, fear would have taken over. Right now, however, she wanted nothing more than to be alone with the pervert. She would make damn sure he never touched another child ever again.

A sudden cry of her fake name had Sakura glancing over her shoulder, eyes going wide at the sight of her mother running back onto the park, fear etched into her stunning features as she tried to catch up. But by that time, Couseki had them all but running and she put on a stumble or two.

"Mama!"

"C'mon, Chika," Couseki suddenly growled, his hand clamping over her mouth and they broke through the alleyway, feet stomping against the ground as he once again picked up the pace, dragging her behind him. "Move faster!"

Forget faking her panic. By now, Sakura began to feel a small wave of it as she imagined what it must have been like for the other children. Unlike herself, they had no way of defending themselves or fighting the bastard off.

"Where are we going?" she almost cried, voice muffled by his hand. "I want Mama."

He ignored her and continued to pull her along behind him.

It wasn't until they got to the very end of the alleyway that she noticed a gate that was left ajar, allowing them entry to a backyard. The yard was small and scruffy, filled with rubbish that stunk like she couldn't even believe, but there wasn't enough time to focus on what was causing the horrendous stench, because Couseki was then shoving the door open and throwing her in, locking it behind them.

Sakura looked around with wide, scared eyes, taking in her surroundings and she paled at the fact that the place was empty, save for the mattress that looked as though it had simply been thrown in there. There was more rubbish littering the room, though it didn't smell as bad as the yard.

"Couseki-san, I-"

Couseki knelt in front of her, eyes narrowing with his nasty smirk. "I'm going to have fun with you-"

Like hell! She stumbled backwards when he lunged, unable to stop the reflex of dodging his attack. Like she had stated earlier that day: it was second nature now.

"Come back here, Chika-"

Her foot got caught on an item of clothing and she fell backwards, landing harshly onto the ground and pain shot up and down her spine as she landed the wrong way. Oh, it was always horrible landing on the tailbone. It didn't matter how strong or powerful you became, that tailbone was always going to hurt like a bitch.

Hands grabbed her ankles and yanked her closer and soon those hands were on her dress, tearing at it.

"Such a pretty dress."

Feet kicking out wildly and hands attempting to grab at something, anything, she fought to get away, crying out as she heard the fabric tearing and falling away from her body, soon followed by the long-sleeved top.

And then he froze.

Sakura stopped the act and glanced up at him with a fierce expression, giving him her own nasty smirk as his hands fell away from her bindings.

"Y-You're…"

Just as he shot up from his place and rushed to the door, she grabbed his ankle and pulled, knocking him back to the ground and not allowing him the chance to recover as his chin smashed against the hardwood flooring. Sitting on his back and keeping his arms pinned to his sides, Sakura leaned over him, her hands coming to his head as she tipped it back forcefully so that he would be looking her in the eye.

"You're not going to be hurting any more kids, you sick bastard."

"Please…!"

His plea cut off in a gurgle as her chopstick rammed into his neck.

* * *

"Here." Itachi placed a thin blanket around her, covering her body from view.

"Thanks."

There was no explaining or justifying how angry she had gotten, or how she had taken that anger out on Couseki. Yes, he had deserved some kind of punishment for his unforgivable crimes, but she… She almost felt lost now that it was over and done with. His blood was splattered over her face and neck and chest, making her hair stick to her skin and it sickened her.

_There was so much blood on her hands._

"Come, Sakura," Itachi murmured, still in his disguise as her mother. "We will go back to the inn while the others clean up."

She could only nod and when it became apparent she was too frozen to actually move by herself, without a word, he reached down and lifted her up, holding her close as they made their way out of Couseki's home. She didn't see their team anywhere and suspected they were either still hiding, or reporting to the leader of the village to find out what he wanted them to do with the body.

The side of her head fell against his chest and she frowned minutely at the feeling of not hard muscle, but instead soft breasts. It didn't feel right. Whenever Itachi held her, he…

Stupid, she tiredly scolded herself.

Already, he was used to the heels and proved it by leaping into the trees, setting a fast pace that had them arriving back at the inn within fifteen minutes and once they returned, he took her straight to her bathroom. Placing her down onto the closed toilet seat, Itachi turned the faucet, leaving his hand in the spray of water until it was warm enough for him to put the plug in.

And then he leaned back against the sink, breathing out a sigh and with that sigh, his henge was released.

She couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him wearing makeup and women's clothing.

Itachi smiled at her softly.

Slowly, to make sure her legs wouldn't give out on her, Sakura made her way over to him, her own henge fading away. Her head came to his chest once more and she smiled to herself as she was met by hard muscle. _That_ was more like it…

Her arms came around him as his hands rested on her back and she shut her eyes, savouring the warmth he radiated and the comfort he always gave her without any questions. For some odd reason, no comfort compared to his. Even when he held her so simply, or gave her the time and space she needed to collect herself, it couldn't ever be compared to anything else.

Sakura was doing her best not to mix her own memories with the other Itachi's, but it was difficult. Through his eyes, she got to see how he saw her and how he felt when he saw her. If only her other self had known…

"Itachi?" There was a quietly hummed reply. "Why did you come with us?" A pause. She tipped her head back to look at him, only to see that Itachi was staring at a wall rather than at her. "It was your choice, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he agreed. Then, he sighed. "I wanted to personally make sure that you were ready to go back out on a mission."

"And…?"

Another pause. This one dragged out for an unbelievable amount of time, to the point where one of them reached out and switched the water off for the bath, for it was almost full.

"Something is bothering you, Sakura," came his quiet accusation, like speaking any louder would frighten her off. "It has been since you returned from your last mission."

Was it really so obvious? Or could Itachi read her well, like the other Itachi had with his Sakura? Something in her chest clenched uncomfortably and it took a moment to fight off the tears threatening to fill her eyes. Grip tightening on him once more, she buried her face into his chest.

There was no way she could tell him of the other Itachi's existence, not when he didn't trust her completely. It would only tear them further apart. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. But not telling him anything was tearing _her_ apart. She just wanted to get it out there and over with. If he didn't believe her, then that was okay, because she knew how utterly absurd it all sounded. Then again, the thought of him not believing her and then shutting her out pained her.

The hand on her back moved, drifting upwards until it was in her hair, comforting her with a gentle caress.

"Get in the bath and when you are done, I will have food waiting in your room for you."

Just as he went to move away, her hold on him tightened, stopping him. "Will you…?"

_Will you be waiting for me?_

Itachi smiled at her. "Of course."

* * *

Much to her relief, when she left the bathroom, she found Itachi sitting at the table and setting out the food. He was freshly showered and back in his own clothing and as they ate, it was in silence. Sakura was simply grateful that he didn't leave her. Even when the rest of the team returned, Itachi made an excuse for her so that she would have some time away from them all.

She must have dozed off at some point, because when Sakura was next alert, she was laying in bed beneath the sheets and the room was spotless. It was also empty, but she didn't let it bother her. Itachi had already gone out of his way to comfort her. She shouldn't have expected him to spend the night too, but part of her _had_ been hoping that he would.

Turning onto her back, Sakura's gaze dragged to the window. It was morning already, the sun was shining through the window and she could hear birds singing their melodic songs.

She turned her back on the window, bringing down her pillow so that she could curl around it. The blanket came over her next, covering her completely and blocking out the sunlight.

Gods, she wished she'd turned down the mission. Sure, it was over and she had completed it without any trouble, but she would have preferred to wake up in her own bed, with no plans for the day so she would be able to stay there without having to move. She was screaming at herself internally, ordering herself to get up and quit acting like such a whiny brat. It was a losing battle.

Surprisingly, it was Neji who came to check on her. It was getting on in the morning now, almost afternoon, so it shouldn't have surprised her that her team would already be up and waiting to leave, to return home as soon as possible.

After only a single warning knock, he granted himself entry, silently shutting the door behind himself. He made his way over to her bed, kneeling beside it. She wasn't looking and was still buried in her blankets, but could tell there was someone there because of the creaking floorboards and the fact she could sense a presence.

"Sakura." That was when she knew for sure that it was Neji. If she wasn't mistaken, then he was a foot or two away from her face. "Before we left, Lee told me that you were struggling." Silence. "Why did you accept this mission?" More silence and then he sighed. "I know how it feels to lose someone you're close to. However, do not get stuck in the past like I once was."

Her teeth gritted and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to take a deep, calming breath.

"I once said that those in the side branch of the Hyuuga Clan were like caged birds, but now when I look back, I believe I caged myself more than anything."

Releasing the deep breath slowly, Sakura hesitantly pulled the covers from over her head, meeting his eyes warily. There was no judgement there, or annoyance. Hyuuga Neji was actually a caring person who was capable of understanding another's pain, even if the rumours around the village painted a whole other picture. It was like he understood how hard it was to get up in the mornings, like he understood that it took everything just to put one foot in front of the other, or to force on a smile just to make everyone else feel like you're okay. On the inside, however, she was nothing more than a mess.

"From what I remember: she would be disappointed to see you like this, Sakura. You were her rival, therefore, someone who was not only her equal, but perhaps on a higher level than herself." A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips and in that moment, it felt like she was witnessing a new side to Neji. "We cannot disappoint them, can we?"

After a moment, she shook her head quickly.

Neji stood up from his kneeling position, seemingly satisfied with himself. "I will make up an excuse so that we won't have to leave immediately, but know that they are worried about you, Sakura. Don't push people away."

With that, he turned and left in the same silent fashion as he had entered and she returned to staring up at the ceiling, trying to control her breathing.

* * *

It was easily three hours later when Sakura finally managed to get out of bed and dress herself, albeit slowly and without much care for her appearance. Said appearance must have been poor, because when she eventually left her room and made it to the outdoor seating, Neji had sighed and stood up, quickly and effortlessly sorting her out.

"Sorry," she murmured, eyes fixed on the ground. "I should pull myself together-"

He merely shook his head and dropped his hands from her hair. "Don't force yourself."

She went to nod and look up, but as she did, she frowned, eyes narrowing on a figure approaching them. If she wasn't mistaken…

"Jiraiya-sama," Shisui greeted and stood up, bowing his head respectively. The others followed, though she was too surprised. "What brings you here?"

Jiraiya… He was Naruto's shishou. On top of that, he was also Minato's sensei and Tsunade's former teammate – one of the Legendary Sannin. Part of her secretly thought that the years hadn't been all that kind to him, but she knew from Itachi's memories that he'd always looked that way. Not only that, but being a sage had something to do with it, too.

His white, spiky mane had grown even longer, very nearly at his ankles and it made her wonder how difficult it must be to keep it tame (though his hair looked anything but tame). Surely it was a nuisance in battles, or while travelling?

"Yo," he greeted them all. Sitting in Neji's former place, the old man leaned back and released a large sigh of relief, like it had been a while since he last sat down. "I'm certainly not getting any younger, am I?"

Shisui and Itachi exchanged glances and slowly sat down opposite him once more, the latter's eyes narrowing fractionally.

"What brings you so close to Konoha, huh?" Shisui asked, not unkindly. "Last I heard: you stayed away as much as possible."

Large arms lifted, stretching up into the air. "I was escorting a few people to a safe house."

What? Sakura frowned and thanked Neji when he pulled out a chair for her, allowing her to sit beside Itachi. Then, he sat down nearer to Sai.

"Oh?" Itachi questioned.

"They've been wrongly labelled as terrorists." He sighed and shook his head, arms dropping onto the table. In all honesty, Jiraiya really did look his age. He looked exhausted, too. "Some other group are using their name-"

Green eyes went wide. "Akatsuki."

Jiraiya seemed genuinely surprised that she caught on so quickly, though gratefulness was also obvious in his expression. Could he really read her so easily? Was it the same for everyone who knew her?

"Unfortunately," he muttered, voice like a deep rumble in his chest. "My poor students have been fighting for their lives these past few months. I didn't even know until I stumbled across them while they were on the run."

Her frown returned and she leaned forward, eyes worried. "How are they?"

"Safe, now."

"They're in Konoha, aren't they?" Sai questioned blankly and when there was a single nod, he added, "So Konoha is now harbouring supposed terrorists."

"They need to keep their heads down."

"Are you sure Konoha is the best place?" Itachi narrowed his eyes, siding with Sai. "Other villages will believe we are housing terrorists."

The fake Akatsuki had committed many unforgivable crimes, the main one being the fact that they tried to capture the tailed beasts. There was no telling if they managed to capture some of them, because no village in their right mind would allow such information to be leaked. It meant they were weakened and vulnerable for an attack. As well as that, the fake Akatsuki had murdered hundreds, if not thousands and that was Sasori and his attack on entire villages alone.

His students, however, were the real Akatsuki – or at least, the original Akatsuki. They did their absolute best to keep the peace and protect the smaller villages that were always, without fail, trampled on during wars. They were all orphans who were trying to keep other children from experiencing their pain. Hell, if Akatsuki had joined the fake Akatsuki, they'd have a much bigger problem on their hands, especially with Nagato's Rinnegan. The other Itachi's memories told her that and proved it, too.

"They're the good guys," Sakura argued, ignoring Itachi's hard gaze. "We can't let them be hunted for something they haven't done."

Jiraiya gave her a grateful smile. "Tsunade met me halfway to Konoha and personally took them under her wing." Her eyes went wide. Tsunade had left the village? Without her or Shizune? "And Minato has promised to protect them."

But it was like their words were aggravating Itachi greatly, because he demanded, "What about the village? When others find out we are protecting them, they will think we are partners."

"Itachi!"

His eyes were cold as they locked with hers and it made her flinch involuntarily. Never had he ever looked at her in such a way before. Not even when he was angry. "What makes you so certain that they are innocent?"

Her mouth opened, but it quickly shut. How was she supposed to defend them when she couldn't even tell anyone _why_ she knew they weren't terrorists? If she said anything now, then others would be suspicious of _her_. Terror washed over her. What if they got so suspicious that somebody like Morino Ibiki got involved and decided to torture the information out of her?

Seeing that she was growing pale, Shisui frowned at the younger Uchiha. "Don't be so hard on her, Itachi."

"It is rather strange," Sai commented. "Sakura-san has fought against many in this terrorist group. Once with Itachi-senpai and then another while completely alone." Apparently Itachi was already thinking along those lines, because his expression didn't change in the least. "To make matters worse, the two she fought recently were rumoured to be immortal and twice as powerful as the others, who she failed in defeating."

Shisui's left eye twitched. "You're not helping, Sai-kun."

He smiled. "I am merely stating facts."

Jiraiya looked between them all, frowning as he did so. "Whether Sakura managed to defeat them alone or not doesn't matter. Not to me. What matters is that my students, the people who fight hard to protect others with everything they have, are being hunted for crimes they haven't committed." His eyes went back to hers, with that same expression she'd seen in Tsunade's eyes. "You should all be proud of her for facing them without backing down, no matter who they were."

By her side, Shisui's hand came down on her shoulder, patting it. "Don't underestimate Sakura's loyalty to Konoha, Itachi, Sai-kun. You will only look like fools in the end."

That didn't seem to help matters, either. "I am more concerned with the fact that Konoha now has a target above its head," Itachi stated coldly. "We are open to attacks from all sides as soon as the other villages catch wind of them being there."

"Then how about this?" Jiraiya muttered, his whole demeanour darkening. "The three of them crossed paths with a member of the terrorist group and fought hard to defeat him, despite being pacifists."

There were more?

Yes, there was!

Kisame, the other Itachi's partner in Akatsuki. Oh, Gods, how could she have forgotten about him? The guy hardly blended in with a crowd.

"Konan has always excelled at ninjutsu and was able to extract information from the terrorist, but not before he ended his own life to keep the rest of his secrets hidden."

"A pacifist interrogating someone?" Sai tilted his head to the side. "How interesting."

Jiraiya scowled and leaned onto the table on his arms, glaring at them. "Who the hell is this guy, huh?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

"Sai," he replied for himself. "Nice to meet you."

The older man simply shook his head in disbelief and sat up straight again, still annoyed but deciding to let it go. She was glad for that. Sakura honestly didn't think she had the energy to pry one of the Legendary Sannin from pummelling her teammate. Hell, she'd probably join him.

Fingers tapping a rhythm into the table, she scowled at nothing in particular. Many in the village would be made uneasy about Konan, Yahiko and Nagato's presence, should they hear about what had happened. There was every chance that the villagers – both shinobi and civilians – would demand that they left, not just to keep Konoha safe from angry nations, but also because of morals. They would have no idea what the true story was, or even consider hearing them out.

"They should keep their heads down," Sakura agreed with Jiraiya's earlier words. "Stay hidden both from other nations and our villagers. There's no telling how they'll react."

He agreed wholeheartedly, giving her a strange look that made her believe he was going back in time somehow, or reliving a memory. At least it wasn't a negative expression, or a perverted one. "Minato said the exact same thing."

Well, that didn't surprise her. After all, they were his sibling disciples – they all had the same shishou. Should Naruto find out about their presence in the village, and what they were being accused of, he would be all over-

"Wait!" They all looked to her, confused when she suddenly grinned. "I can prove their innocence – at least to you guys."

"I don't see how," said Sai. Neji shot him a dark look.

"Years ago – not long after I mastered the Byakugō no In – we had this client who betrayed us. At the same time, we crossed paths with Gaara-kun and his team, who also had a client who betrayed them. I'll give you three guesses what and who they were after."

Shisui nodded, understanding immediately. "Naruto-kun and Gaara-kun."

"They took us by surprise when they attacked Temari-san and Naruto so suddenly, and we didn't know what to do. They had us cornered." Her eyes moved to Jiraiya's, not surprised to find that he could tell where her story was going already. "Nagato-san saved us from those guys, who were no doubt working for the fake Akatsuki. He used this… this strange jutsu that pretty much blasted them away from us." Her hands came down onto the table, gripping it. "It's all in our reports and you can ask any of us about that day. In fact, Yahiko-san scolded me and Gaara-kun for fighting while the treaty between our villages was so shaky. If it resulted in war…"

"The smaller villages would pay for it," Itachi murmured, finishing her sentence.

She turned to face him, trying to plead with him with her expression alone until she eventually begged, "Please, Itachi. Trust me on this. They're the good guys."

Maybe it was her words, or maybe it was her eyes, but much to her happiness and relief, something got through to the stubborn Uchiha. He watched her for only a few seconds before nodding once, deciding to trust her instincts.

While her energy level was temporarily at a high, Sakura stood up. "We should head back and assist Hokage-sama."

They all agreed.

And surprising her greatly, Jiraiya smirked proudly, almost knowingly, at her.

* * *

Unfortunately, when they arrived, Minato was in the middle of a meeting with the elders, who were no doubt trying to sway him in his decision of keeping Yahiko, Konan and Nagato there. She hoped more than anything that he didn't bend to their overbearing ways. They would have nowhere to go and would have to constantly look over their shoulders.

As they left the Hokage Tower, they each went their separate ways (apart from Shisui and Itachi, who obviously walked together to their district). That was another thing about not wearing her ANBU mask: she didn't have to worry about being seen with it on. If she had her cloak on and had the hood up, then sure, nobody would know it was her, but since they had left in a hurry, she had forgotten to put said cloak on and it was currently rolled up in her backpack.

Going home wasn't an awfully comforting idea at that moment. So, instead, Sakura turned and headed towards the fields that were used by the children in the Academy. It was mostly the kunoichi in training who used it, when they were learning how to become more womanly and adapt to different cultures. However, it was also where she had been given some of the best advice in her life and brought back so many memories for her.

An hour later and Sakura was holding a bouquet of flowers in her left hand, making her way towards the place that held way too many names. It was getting on in the afternoon now and things were winding down. Nobody bothered her, which she was grateful for.

And then the cenotaph came into view and she felt her temporary energy zapping straight out of her at just the mere sight of it. Yes, it was a beautiful way to honour the dead, but a childish and naïve voice in the back of her mind selfishly demanded for it not to be necessary. She wished that they didn't need something like that.

The wind picked up, blowing her hair off her face. Usually there would be the rustling of the paper that held the flowers together, though for her, Sakura refused to use something that held little meaning. Instead, her flowers were tied together with a single red ribbon. Obviously not the original one, for that was resting on the corner of her mirror, but the meaning was never forgotten by her and hopefully, it wouldn't be lost on her best friend, either.

"Two years ago today," Sakura stated suddenly into the quiet air. "Sorry I didn't come sooner, Ino-Pig." Gently, she placed the flowers down onto the cenotaph, fingers grazing the soft petals. "But I kept in mind what you told me back during kunoichi training. I arranged them just like you said and even watered the buds while I was out in the field, because it's like you said: it's sad when a flower doesn't bloom, because that little bud could become the most beautiful of them all."

And then suddenly, with sobs that were almost childlike as she wailed into the night, she crumbled, falling to the ground as her hands rubbed at her eyes, trying and failing to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks.


	34. It's You I Belong To

**Chapter 34**

**It's You I Belong To**

* * *

_Everything was so bright, nearly blinding and she grimaced, shielding her eyes with her arm. She tried to see the area surrounding her through narrowed eyes, but it was futile. No matter how hard she tried-_

_A presence._

_Sakura whirled around, forgetting all about the blinding brightness as she tried to search for the person. Her heart was going about a mile a minute, breathing quick and anxiety threatened to make her immobile. Somehow, however, she found the strength to move, to drag her feet in front of one another. But n_ _o matter how hard she tried, it still felt like she was in slow motion._

_That presence…_

_Long, platinum blonde hair flashed through the corner of her vision and Sakura spun, tears filling her eyes._

"_Ino."_

_But she wasn't there. Again, she spun, eyes wide and burning._

"_Ino!"_

_And there she was, her best friend, looking as radiant as she always had._

_Desperation had her reaching out and Ino smiled warmly, their hands coming together and holding tightly, making Sakura feel more secure, more safe and more at peace than she had in a long while._

* * *

She jolted awake, eyes wide and involuntary shivers took over her body. It took her too long to realise there was another with her, leaning over her collapsed position in front of the cenotaph, but what really struck her the most was that their hands were clasped together tightly, in the very same way as her dream.

_That pig…_

"How long have you been out here?" Itachi all but demanded, eyes narrowing.

It was too cold to answer and it was instinctual the way she leaned closer, seeking his warmth. The situation must have been bad, her appearance and well-being must have been poor, because he didn't question her and instead brought her against him.

Sakura watched how his eyes took in their surroundings, pausing for a fraction of a second on the flowers until he sighed and stood with her in his arms.

Light was breaking out across the sky and the clouds were grey, telling her that it was going to be a crappy day weather-wise. It also told her that she'd been out at the cenotaph all night and the droplets running down the marble told her that it had been raining at some point. That was probably why she felt so cold, though was unable to feel the wetness of her clothes. It was foolish of her to fall asleep in such a place. Medic-nin or not, she was still human.

An almost violent tremor shook her body and the arms around her tightened considerably. There was a quietly murmured apology when Itachi sped up, telling her they would be home soon and to hold on just a little while longer. The wind was vicious as it slammed into them.

How Itachi managed to get into her apartment so smoothly without her key was a mystery she didn't think about for too long, because she was too grateful for the warmth that suddenly washed over her, though it didn't help her shivers at all. It was like she was frozen in his arms even as the front door was shut. So for a while, she sat on his lap on her sofa, taking full advantage of his warmth and smiling softly when Itachi grabbed the throw at the side of her sofa, wrapping it around them both.

"For a medic, you are reckless with your own health," he chided quietly.

Her teeth were chattering when she replied lamely with, "S-Sorry."

His chin rested against the top of her wet hair and she pressed her face into his neck, pretending not to notice when her lips brushed against the exposed skin there. Was he pretending not to notice, too? It was innocent, after all. Just a way to warm them up.

"Do you think that Yamanaka-san would want to see you like this?" Itachi asked her softly, his tone gentle. "To see you risking your health in such a way? You could have come down with pneumonia out there-"

Sakura's sudden sob cut him off. It couldn't be stopped. Neither could the tears that were streaming down her cheeks too fast for her to even realise that they were there and she felt him freeze up for a split second before he was shushing her, the arms around her flexing as he brought her impossibly closer.

She hated that he was seeing her in such a state, that he was seeing her cry. What happened to the tough woman she had become? The woman who kicked ass and got shit done? Where was she now? Why wouldn't that strength come to her in front of the man she admired? It was so frustrating.

But…

"I want her back," Sakura cried without restraint. Eyes squeezing shut, she shifted in his hold, though still kept her face hidden from his view. It was bad enough that he was witnessing her break down in such a way – she knew she was not a pretty crier. "Why did she have to die?"

"We're shinobi," came his near silent reply. "We're surrounded by death."

Well she was tired of it. She was tired of giving up so much for a village that would only turn around and ask her to give something else up, too. She was tired of the aching in her heart and the twisting of stomach and the way she felt about herself and-

Another sob. It sounded more like a wail.

She was terrified of the person she was becoming!

Hands cupped her face and no matter how hard Sakura tried to resist the movement, Itachi managed to lift her face from his neck, their eyes locking and foreheads bumping together. In his eyes she saw understanding and the same exhaustion she felt on the inside.

"That is what being a shinobi is," he told her. "It's about endurance."

The tears wouldn't stop.

But that was okay, because Itachi was there and he understood.

There was no telling how long they were there for, soaking in one another's comfort. It was only when she began shivering again that he forced them to part long enough for her to get changed into dry, clean clothes. While she was getting changed, he made them both some tea, setting the cups down onto the coffee table so that it was ready for her almost immediately.

Weakly, she sat down on the sofa once more, smiling tiredly when Itachi pulled her closer once again, allowing her to lean against him.

"You are always healing people and lending them your strength," he began. "But do you ever stop to look after yourself?"

Was there an appropriate answer to that question? Sakura looked down at her cup with heavy eyes that were no doubt puffy from her crying – she hadn't wanted to look in the mirror, knowing that it would only make her mood even worse.

By her side, Itachi sighed. "You have a lot of support behind you, Sakura. There are many people that will catch you if you fall, who will help you stand up again, but you need to let them in for that to happen."

It wasn't as easy as that, though. Surely he understood how scary that was? Opening her heart to somebody one hundred percent and letting them see all her flaws was terrifying. What if that person was disgusted? What if they rejected her? At her most vulnerable, it would destroy her and there would be no coming back from that.

"You're a hypocrite," she replied, voice hoarse. "There's loads that you don't tell people." Slowly, Sakura pulled back a few inches, looking up at him. As always, Itachi was guarding his emotions, making it impossible to read him. However, she knew for a fact that he was not emotionless. She knew that he was fighting the very same battle as herself, struggling to get through the day being who they were for the sake of their village. "You know that it's not easy letting people in."

"Only when you can't trust them."

Ouch. It would have hurt less if he physically hit her. Those words… they made her heart ache even more. "Then let them earn that trust instead of keeping them at arms-length all the time."

But he was shutting her out, his defences coming up as Itachi sighed and pulled away, standing. "The elders will be wondering where I am."

"Don't shut me out again," Sakura begged and shot to her feet after him, catching his sleeve to stop him. "You always push me away-"

"Sakura."

She froze, eyes wide when he looked over his shoulder at her. The expression on his face was weary and like he wanted to be anywhere but with her in that moment in time. Why was he such a yo-yo? One second he would be holding her and making her feel important and then the next he regarded her like she was a petulant, annoying child. Why wouldn't he just let her in?

"Please, Itachi," she whispered.

It felt like her heart was breaking all over again when he gently tugged his arm free of her hold and walked out.

* * *

Why the hell did she always end up in such a place? Why was it always Itachi who did this to her?

Slumped against the arm of her sofa, Sakura wiped at her eyes, finally managing to get a grasp on her composure. It had taken way too many times to do so, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that she eventually got the control she needed.

The other Itachi hadn't been so difficult with the other version of herself. If anything, he was extremely accepting of her, relishing in the positive human contact and the peace the relationship brought to him. Of course he didn't tell her everything that had happened or was going to happen, however, he was honest with her in regards to his feelings. Why did her own Itachi have to be so different in that regard? Why was he being so cruel? Couldn't he see that he was breaking her heart over and over again by constantly pushing her away, by proving that she didn't have his trust?

By now it was nearing noon, yet she was unable to drag herself out of her self-pity and heartbreak to do anything other than sulk. It was always the same this time of year, on the anniversary of Ino's death, but her step backwards with Itachi certainly wasn't helping matters. It seemed like anything that involved him sapped all strength from within her. He saw through all her fronts.

Sakura debated on ignoring the door when somebody knocked softly on it. She could always say that she didn't hear them, but then just two seconds later, there was another knock, this time much louder and she sighed.

Honestly, she could do without Sai's shit today, so when she swung the door open, about to tell him to go away, she was cut off by his lack of false smile. Something was warning her not to unleash hell on him, that there was something delicate about to happen and to push him away at that moment in time would damage whatever their relationship was. It would set him back further.

"I have something for you," he told her.

Sakura blinked in surprise and held out her hands. What could he possibly have for her?

But all questions completely vanished as he placed a canvas into her hands delicately, like he was worried about even the smallest of dirt ruining the picture that was on it and Sakura couldn't blame him in the least. It truly was a work of art. It was…

Ino…

Her vision blurred.

Damn it, her control was gone again.

It was a portrait of Ino sitting amongst the flowers, posing as she held one up into the sunlight, startling blue eyes almost sparkling.

"So this was what you were working on during our mission?" she asked quietly, heart in her throat. He was always drawing, so she hadn't thought twice about it. Had barely even registered it.

Sai smiled. "Yes. I had to improvise with the shadowing, but-"

Before he could even react, Sakura threw herself at him, embracing him tightly. It was to hide her tears just as much as it was to thank him, but either way, it startled him. "It's beautiful. Thank you, Sai."

"Neji-san filled me in on the parts I didn't know, though he warned me it was all old knowledge that was found out during your first chunin exams." There was a pause. "I thought that perhaps you would like to build a memorial for her. There is one in my living room in memory of my brother."

Sai had a brother?

Pulling back, she wiped her eyes and offered a smile. "How about some tea? You wanted to know more about Ino-Pig, right?"

He looked genuinely confused. "Pig?"

Sakura chuckled at that. There would be a lot to tell him and more than likely even more to explain in terms he would understand. "Come in."

Without hesitation, he followed, immediately going over to the photograph of Ino and there was a small sigh of relief. She wondered if it was in case he got anything wrong in her appearance. The thought was confirmed when he glanced back at the canvas with a small, proud smile.

It was the first real smile she had ever seen coming from him.

"I was debating whether or not I should wait," he told her tonelessly as they sat down on her sofa with cups of tea. "Most people in mourning would rather be left alone."

"Was that how you felt when your brother died?" she asked quietly, like speaking any louder would destroy the rare moment of getting along. The shock had yet to wear off at the fact that he'd been the one to extend the hand of friendship to her. An olive branch, even.

There was a distant look in his dark eyes as he stared down at the tea. "Even if I did, it was not allowed."

It was wrong to ask of ROOT, mainly because she wasn't supposed to know of the organisation. Everything about it was extremely highly classified – to the point where only the chosen operatives and Hokage knew of it. It ranked even higher than ANBU.

"For a few months after Ino's death, I wanted nothing more than to be alone," Sakura answered his unspoken question. "I was diagnosed by Tsunade-sama as severely depressed and looking back on that time now, I know that Ino wouldn't have been happy for me to be in that state. I couldn't eat and every time I shut my eyes, all I saw was the mess her body had been in and…" Tears threatened to fill her eyes and she bit her lip harshly, almost drawing blood. "Even now… I still see… I still relive that day and every single time I do, I imagine what could have been, you know?"

Sai nodded, his gaze still locked onto the tea. "I was raised differently to others my age. I was not allowed to experience emotions and merely got by on reactions, such as wincing when hit, or struggling when my body was tired. I can't help but wonder if the pain I was in was a reaction, or emotion."

From what little the other Itachi had known of Sai (which was incredibly little, much to her disappointment), it had been made clear that he had been completely and utterly brainwashed by Danzo's unethical methods. It wasn't until the boy joined Team Seven that he finally began experiencing his emotions and bonds.

"I think the fact you felt anything at all proves that he was important to you," she murmured. "It's scary how used to death some people are."

He nodded once in agreement. "Sometimes we have to be."

That was probably what scared her the most: being used to death, so much so that it no longer had an effect on her. Even if it hurt like a bitch, she _wanted_ to feel shitty about herself every time she had to take a life. She _wanted_ to feel parts of her heart chipping away, because it was so much better than forgetting why it was wrong to take a life. She wanted to continue struggling with killing another person.

"What was she like?" asked Sai when nothing more was said.

"Ino?" He nodded. "She was a great person with a huge personality who could often be side-tracked. Excelled in ninjutsu and graduated as the best girl in our year at the Academy. Always stood up for things she believed in, and for those who couldn't stand up for themselves." Smiling softly, Sakura told him, "That was actually how we became friends. I was being bullied and Ino stood up for me. If it wasn't for her, I would still have no confidence and probably no friends, either."

He looked to her and even though his eyes were as dead as ever, there was a small pull on his lips. "If it wasn't for Shin, I wouldn't have pursued my interest in drawing. In a way, I suppose he was like your friend, Naruto-kun."

"Loud and obnoxious?"

The smile showed fully this time and his eyes creased. "I would say more like loud and impatient. He was very kind to me when we first met-"

"Wait, didn't you say you were brothers?" Sakura frowned in confusion.

Sai didn't mind the interruption. "Not by blood. We met in the same place and became close, calling each other brother."

She smiled at that. "Kind of like me and Ino. We never said the word, but we did consider each other as sisters because of how close we were and our tendency to fight." There was a pause and her eyes saddened. "Do you think they would be proud of us, Sai?"

Like hers had, his gaze turned away, going back to the cup of tea. "They died for us. It would be wrong not to make them proud." Much to her astonishment, Sai then sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm making Shin proud, or whether he would be disappointed with the way things have turned out."

Regarding ROOT and it being disbanded permanently due to their leader, Danzo, being assassinated. "I didn't know him or know what he believed in, but I'm sure Shin-san would be very proud of the person you have become, Sai."

He smiled softly, still not meeting her eyes. "Yes. Ino-san, too." There was yet another pause and then he said quietly, "Sakura-san, may I say something?"

"Yeah?"

"You seem like a sociable person." Faintly, his dark eyebrows knitted together. "Please do not isolate yourself."

* * *

As strange as it sounded, Sai wasn't nearly as bad as Sakura had once thought him to be. Sure, he could be crass and totally inappropriate, always saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but when the situation called for it, he was there for his comrades – no, his friends. Even though he aggravated her beyond belief and often made her want to tear her hair out, she thought of him as a friend. Having him open up to her in such a way made Sakura think that maybe Sai thought of her as a friend, too. They were bonding through their grief.

Like he had said: they made a memorial for Ino. Usually, it was only the family to do something such as that, but she had always thought of her as family. It was only small, with a single photograph and a few candles, along with the picture Sai had created. The memorial was in the living room, beneath her wall of photographs and Sakura had decided to take the special framed one (the one with the flowers wrapped around its frame) down, using it for the memorial.

It felt… good to have it there. She rarely got the chance to go to the cenotaph to pay her respects, what with missions and shifts at the hospital, so it was a good way to pray and speak to Ino – and in the comfort of her own home, too. There would be no need to bottle up her emotions so fiercely and Sakura wondered if that was why Sai had brought up the idea. He couldn't understand his own emotions, but what if he had sensed that she was struggling with her own?

Once it had been created, they had both knelt and prayed silently before Sai had apologised and excused himself.

It warmed her heart really and it made the pain and sorrow in her heart ease up. There was no doubt Ino would've liked Sai – the resemblance to Sasuke alone would have gained her attention, but then the many layers of his seemingly simple and emotionless self would have sealed the deal. There was a lot they had yet to learn about Sai and Ino had always enjoyed a challenge, hence why she never gave up on Sasuke.

Not long after Sai had left, Sakura wrapped up warm and left her apartment, going straight to the one place she knew where her boys would be: the training grounds. Much to her relief, they were finishing up in their training, as it was beginning to rain lightly. Getting soaked through again would be horrible for her health and she was just waiting for the consequences to kick in.

"We didn't think we'd see you today," Kakashi stated.

She gave a small smile. "She wouldn't want me to be alone, you know?"

Naruto grinned at that and threw an arm over her shoulders, unknowingly sentencing her to dealing with the smell of his sweat he'd worked up from his spar. Oh Gods, it was awful. "Took you a while to work it out, didn't it?"

The last member of Team Seven shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced up at the sky. "Looks like there's going to be a storm."

It was without a word that they set off back towards the village, going straight to the one place they'd always frequented together: Ichiraku. Sakura couldn't even deny that being around her teammates was comforting and she was incredibly grateful to Sai for giving her a push in the right direction. Being alone definitely wasn't the answer, not only because it made her precious people worry, but also because it never did a person good to be alone to soak in their regrets and sorrow.

By the time they reached Ichiraku, it was lashing it down with rain. The kind that bounced back off the ground because it was coming down so hard and Sakura couldn't have been more grateful when Ayame smiled at them all, handing out small towels to dry off as much as possible.

In a way, she supposed they were like family to them now – certainly their most loyal customers, even if it was only because of Naruto's unhealthy addiction to their ramen. Whenever they were celebrating something, without fail, they always went to Ichiraku's to celebrate and without really noticing, Ayame and her father, Teuchi, were celebrating with them.

"Naruto-kun." Ayame leaned onto the counter, smiling. "How is Kushina-san? She hasn't been by in a while."

Naruto grinned in return and scratched the back of his head. "Dad's trying to get her to lay off the ramen because she got a really bad stomach not too long ago from eating too much."

Startled, Sakura looked over at the blond, eyes wide and features expressing her shock. Kushina had been ill? Why hadn't she known about it? Before joining ANBU, it was safe to say that she was really involved with Naruto's family – they'd welcomed her and Sasuke like they were a part of the family. They treated them like they were their own. Was that why Minato hadn't pushed her report too much? Was that why he'd accepted it so easily?

"Oh, dear," gasped Ayame, clearly worried. "How is she now?"

"Better. Dad's got her eating all this healthy stuff." There was a pause in conversation as their food was placed before them and when Naruto next spoke, it was with a mouth filled with food, much to everyone's distaste. "She's not too annoyed by it, because Mom's always done what she could do get healthy food into all our diets, but she's sad that she can't have as much ramen anymore."

Going for ramen together was like a ritual between Naruto and Kushina, Sakura added mentally. They always sat down at Ichiraku's, sometimes with Minato, and simply talked about family matters or how their days had been. It was a shred of normalcy for them all.

"Well, hopefully we'll see her again soon," Teuchi stated. "I can always slip her a bowl or two while Hokage-sama isn't looking."

Ayame instantly scolded her father, though Sakura and Naruto couldn't help but snicker. If Kushina heard that offer, there was no doubt she would be in Ichiraku faster than Shisui's body flicker technique.

Another customer entered the small stand, diverting Ayame and Teuchi's attention from them and as they each got stuck into their food, it was almost a habit how each of their gazes drifted to Kakashi's face, only to sigh dejectedly when they found his orange book covering the bottom half of it, shielding it from view.

"How's missions?" Sakura asked them.

Naruto shrugged. Before he could answer her, however, Sasuke spoke up, cutting him off, "Dull. There's hardly been any missions above b-rank."

Oh, wow. That had to be boring-

Funny how being a part of ANBU made her think that way. Had it been a year ago, she would have jumped at the chance to go on a b-rank mission and cowered at just the thought of anything above a-rank. Now Sakura was going on s-rank missions, sometimes even sss-rank missions, without batting an eyelash. Somewhere down the line it stopped bothering her.

"Hopefully it will pick up again soon," Kakashi commented. "The chūnin exams are just around the corner, after all."

Already? Damn it, how much had she missed? It felt like it was only yesterday that Konohamaru and his team were participating. Speaking of which… "Did Konohamaru and his team pass?"

There was a sigh as Naruto paused in his eating, shaking his head solemnly. "Udon did, but both Moegi and Konohamaru failed."

Udon had always been the best at strategics in their team, Sakura thought to herself, whereas the other two merely went along with his ideas. More often than not, if a plan succeeded, Konohamaru would claim that it had all been his idea – just like Naruto used to.

"If they don't get serious he'll leave them behind," Sakura stated simply and took a mouthful of her ramen. "It's unavoidable."

Naruto stopped eating altogether and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, slowly placing the bowl onto the counter. "Yeah, it is."

Wishing she'd kept her mouth shut, she continued eating, pretending not to have heard him and on her other side, Sasuke did the same. He was as distant as always and Sakura wondered if he'd forgiven her for agreeing to join ANBU, or if he still blamed his older brother.

The thought of Itachi had her sighing and gazing down at the counter sadly.

Why did things have to be so difficult between them? If there truly were other universes out there, did that mean they simply weren't supposed to be together in this one? They'd been in love in the other Itachi's world, but so many things were different in their own. Was their relationship one of those things? Was she supposed to give up with hoping they'd eventually find their way to one another? Or was she supposed to continue to pursue it, even if it meant getting hurt?

As their meal came to a silent end and they were about to go their separate ways, she was surprised when Sasuke accompanied her instead of going straight to his district, saying that he'd walk her home.

"Itachi asked to be kept on the mission rota."

The sudden conversation, about the same guy who was plaguing her thoughts, surprised Sakura momentarily, but she immediately reeled in her composure. "Oh?"

"The elders aren't happy about it," he then told her. "But Itachi isn't happy with staying in the village."

Yes, she knew that. She knew it because of the other Itachi's memories, which she was trying desperately to lock away. They were too painful to even contemplate looking into them. "Do you know if he'd go into his old team, or…?"

They couldn't go into too much detail about the ANBU squad, though thankfully, Sasuke knew what she was talking about. "I'm not sure. Chances are, he'll be given a genin team, since that means he'll only have d-rank and c-rank missions."

To try and lessen the chances of him being killed in action. Sakura looked away from him, her eyebrows coming together harshly no matter how badly she tried to fight off the scowl. Why did everyone, no matter who they were, believe that they had a right to try and control Uchiha Itachi? He hadn't said the words, but she knew that that was why he fought against the elders of his clan so hard. It was so obvious to her.

And she kind of maybe _really_ hoped he would come back to the team. It hadn't been that long since Itachi was told he would become the patriarch, yet it felt like it had been a lifetime. They'd gone from back to back missions to rarely going out. Sakura knew Shisui would lead them brilliantly as their squad leader, but…

"Have you seen him today?" she asked and when Sasuke replied affirmatively, she couldn't help but go on to ask, "How did he seem?" Dark eyes slid down to hers and all he did was raise a single eyebrow, like he knew exactly why she was asking. "He… told you?"

A sigh. "Itachi wouldn't tell me anything that would shatter your trust in him."

"But he told you something."

Even though it wasn't a question, he still nodded, looking vaguely annoyed as he did so. "What were you thinking, Sakura?"

Was that the reason why Sasuke was walking her home? To yell at her? She also sighed and looked away, no longer concerned with the rain as she was once more getting soaked. "I wasn't," replied Sakura quietly. "I just want him to trust me." Not noticing his minute frown, she continued, saying, "We've been on the same team for almost a year now, yet Itachi still doesn't trust me. He trusts my strength and my drive to get the job done, but when it comes to his heart, he just… closes up. He won't tell me anything."

The fact that Sasuke stopped walking finally forced her to look at him, frowning as she turned around to face him. He looked confused – greatly confused, actually and it caused _her_ to grow confused. Weren't they on the same page? Wasn't…

Oh, Gods.

"He didn't say anything about that, did he?"

A fierce blush raged across her features when Sasuke shook his head. "He told me he found you at the cenotaph, passed out."

Of course he had.

Discomfort had him shifting in his footing, eyebrows knitting together unsurely. "So you… have feelings for my brother."

There wasn't any fight left in her, Sakura found and weakly, she smiled and shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He won't accept them because he can't trust me."

"Why?" His earlier frown returned, deepening. "What did you do?"

"What did _I_ do?" she repeated in obvious disbelief. "_I_ didn't anything. Itachi thought that because Shisui and I were spending so much time together outside of missions, something was going on and…" Sakura rubbed her forehead roughly, uncaring of the red mark left behind. "Your brother doesn't trust anyone with his heart unless he knows one hundred percent they're genuine."

Even then, he'd been fooled by Izumi. She appeared so sweet and innocent to his face, but it was clear to Sakura that she would do whatever necessary to make sure no other female (not including his mother, of course) was in his life.

"Did you confess to him?"

The question was quiet, serious and it made her frown. "Well, not exactly. It's been difficult-"

"Confess to him," Sasuke stated. "Get it out there."

"He just walks out-"

He chuckled at that. A single, bitter chuckle. "I know. He always tells you 'next time' or 'maybe later', but there never is a later. You have to force him to listen, Sakura. Break his legs if you have to."

Break his…

"Don't tempt me." She laughed tiredly. "Every time it gets even remotely serious, he's out of there faster than a bullet."

The humour, no matter how bitter it was, left him at her words and in that moment, Sasuke seemed just as tired as she felt. "He's been through a lot, Sakura. Experienced a lot of death. When we were kids, Itachi was always open and kind, but life as a shinobi has changed him and he's learned to guard himself. He's closed off now."

Yes, she knew that. "And you really think confessing my feelings to him will help?"

By now, everyone had scurried indoors, either rushing home or hiding out in the nearest tea shop or café to wait for the storm to pass. She and Sasuke probably looked out of their minds standing in the middle of the street, drenched from the rain and Sakura looked up at the dark sky as a rumble of thunder slowly began to build. He was right: there was going to be a storm.

"At least you will know where you stand."

* * *

"Sakura?"

It worked.

It had actually worked.

Astounded, Sakura looked up at the figure crouched on her window ledge, panting as they attempted to catch their breath and she only vaguely took notice in the fresh rain drops splattering onto her bedroom floor from his long, dark hair.

Unbelievable.

She closed the book she'd been reading and sat up in her bed, covers falling to her hips. Since Sakura hadn't had much faith in Sasuke's seemingly foolish plan to deceive his older brother, she'd dressed down and gotten in bed, snuggling amongst the covers as she listened to the thunderstorm. It was something she always enjoyed doing.

"Itachi," she breathed, still shocked.

Silently, Itachi stepped into the bedroom, glancing around himself before looking back to her. "Sasuke said you collapsed."

"Oh, that was nothing," she assured him. Placing the book down onto the bedside table, she offered him a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry if I worried you."

There was a brief pause, a moment of silence, and it was as though Itachi was trying to find an excuse for rushing over. After all, he'd been adamant earlier that day about not trusting her or wanting to open his heart to her, but then again, that didn't mean he didn't care. That was the only thing that kept her clinging onto him – the fact that he _did_ care.

Sakura pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. While she hadn't had any faith in his plan, she had still made sure to dress appropriately _just in case_, so was wearing flannel pyjama bottoms and a baggy t-shirt. Not attractive in the least, but she didn't want to seduce him. She wanted to confess to him.

Shit.

She should've worn the shorts and vest top.

No longer confident in herself, she tugged on the hem of her shirt. "Do you… want some tea? You're soaked."

More silence.

She frowned, concerned. "Itachi?"

"Why am I here, Sakura?" When her frown only deepened, he continued, "You didn't collapse."

How the hell did he know that? Since she had already appeared sickly from the night before, it should have been hard for him to tell. Also, her hair was still wet, soaking the shoulders of her shirt, making it clear she'd been out again.

"You're not a child," he told her. "Do not act like one."

Shit, what was she supposed to do? Still fidgeting with her shirt, green eyes fell to the floor. "I didn't like how it ended this morning," admitted Sakura softly.

"And so you had Sasuke lie to me about your well-being?" When it was said out loud, it made her feel awful and when he sighed, she shut her eyes, ready for all of hell to be unleashed onto her. Instead, she was surprised to feel a hand cupping her cheek, forcing her to look up. "Why would you want me to worry about you like that?"

That wasn't fair, Sakura thought, unable to stop herself from leaning into his touch. Again, she wondered why it was always Itachi who made her feel so vulnerable and fragile.

Hesitantly, her eyes met his. Was now the right time to confess? Was there ever a right time? It was bizarre how she was able to face strong opponents without feeling a flicker of fear, yet standing in front of Itachi, so obviously vulnerable, made her nervous and afraid. What would she do if he rejected her? A hand fell to his side, clutching his shirt like she was trying to keep him in his place. Sasuke's earlier words of breaking his legs to keep him there flitted through her mind, amusing her briefly, but the humour died only seconds later.

"Because sometimes it feels like you don't care," she told him quietly, eyes falling away from his once more. Gods, why was it so hard looking into his eyes when saying such things?

Another sigh and then he stepped closer, surprising her. "Would I fight so hard to remain as your captain if I didn't?"

Wide, stunned green eyes snapped to his. "W-What?"

Itachi gave her a small smile. "I'm the reason you're there, Sakura. What sort of person would I be if I left you there, alone?"

Well… She wouldn't really be alone, would she? She had her squad to back her up out on missions and knew they would have her back should anything go wrong.

But who would comfort her afterwards? Who would come and find her after a particularly brutal mission that left her scrambling to bring the pieces of her heart back together? Who would sit there for hours and _help her_ put the pieces back together?

Oh, Gods…

What would she do without him in her squad? She'd fall to pieces!

Sakura's forehead fell to his chest as she tried to mask the horror on her features. Realisation was belatedly dawning on her. Itachi had always been there for her in ANBU, had always taken care of her. Where would she be without him?

"Itachi, I…"

Her throat felt tight, stomach in knots and every time she tried to speak, it was like a sob was clawing its way up her throat, viciously tearing into it as it did so. Slowly, an arm wrapped around her and she felt Itachi breathe out a sigh. His wet clothes didn't bother her in the slightest – they were the very last thing on her mind.

"Please don't make me worry any more than what I already do."

Her teeth gritted painfully and she fought incredibly for her composure, hands coming up to his chest and tangling in his shirt. Damn it. Without even trying, Itachi was capable of ripping all control from her. He was capable of reducing her to nothing more than a fragile woman who was possessed entirely by her feelings for him.

_Was now the time?_

Hands gently wrapped around the ones tangled in his shirt, once more making Sakura look up at him and she was surprised to see the smile on his lips. Sure, it was small and barely even noticeable, but it reached his eyes. It was a real smile and it took her breath away.

She wasn't sure whether it was because of the smile or not, but it had her leaning up, had her standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his, eyes slipping shut when she felt a returning pressure from him. The hands around her own tightened their hold, though it certainly wasn't uncomfortable and Sakura sighed into the kiss as their lips began to move more insistently.

_Was now the time?_

It was timidly that she took a step back, pulling Itachi with her so that the kiss wouldn't be broken and the second the backs of her legs touched the bed, Sakura began leaning back, glad when he leaned forward, his hand coming to the back of her head and grabbing a fistful of her hair. It didn't hurt.

Worry flashed through her when he hesitated to follow her onto the mattress, but only a second later and he was hovering over her, an elbow being placed above her shoulder.

And then abruptly he pulled away altogether, leaving her alone on the bed.

Great, the yo-yo was back.

"You're grieving," he told her seriously as she sat up.

She felt cold all of a sudden and it had nothing to do with the open window or the fact she'd slept outside in the rain the night before.

Weakly, Sakura smiled. It fell at his stern gaze, however. "This has nothing to do with… with Ino."

"You would come to me even if-"

"_Yes_," she stressed and stood swiftly, running her hands through her hair in frustration. For a genius, he sure was stupid! "Why can't you see that?"

"All I can see is somebody who is feeling lost in their grief," Itachi murmured. "You passed out at the cenotaph, for starters."

"But I'm not doing this because of the pain," she replied. It hurt that he couldn't understand that. "I care about you, Itachi."

"And I care for you," he retorted. "Which is why I'm going to ask something of you." At her questioning gaze, he sighed. "It's time to leave, Sakura." Itachi stepped towards her, eyebrows knitting together. "You need to leave ANBU."

What…?

What the hell?

"It's changing you," he murmured.

After all her hard work, after all her dedication and sacrifices, Itachi wanted her to give it all up? To act as though she hadn't worked herself to the bone to keep up with them all? Oh, it made Sakura so angry. It turned her vision red.

"You're wrong."

"Oh?"

There was no way ANBU was changing her – she didn't _let it_ change her. Death still affected her immensely, haunting her each and every time she took a life, or merely saw a life being taken. Seduction missions, even just the thought of them, terrified her greatly. It just… wasn't changing her. It couldn't be.

Sakura frowned at the floor of her bedroom. This wasn't how she had wanted her confession to go. They hadn't meant to kiss until _after_ she had confessed and Itachi certainly wasn't supposed to tell her to quit ANBU.

"What about the team?" she asked quietly, still not looking at him. "What if they're injured and they need me? What if… one of them dies and I could have prevented it?"

"What about Team Seven?" he countered. "What if they're injured and they need you?"

"That's not fair."

"A shinobi's life is never fair."

Yes, Itachi did have a point, but there was a huge difference between her ANBU squad and Team Seven – the missions and their ranks. ANBU missions were petrifying and you were supposed to go into them expecting not to make it home. They were twice as deadly as ordinary missions and lately, Team Seven was stuck with b-ranked missions, whereas her squad were on s-ranked, ss-ranked and sss-ranked missions. Her squad needed her.

Once again, Itachi took a step towards her, his gaze gentle. "We could retire from ANBU together, Sakura."

The words didn't comfort her. They filled her with anger. "You're only saying that because you're struggling to balance ANBU life and being patriarch," Sakura snarled and backed away, ripping open her bedroom door to leave the room.

It was way too small to be arguing with him in there. Itachi's presence had always been demanding, had always made itself known and when he wanted it to be, it could be suffocating and intimidating. Impossible to ignore. Completely dominating her senses. Her living room was a decent size and it didn't feel like they were on top of each other. Behind her, she could sense him following closely.

"I am saying this because you're struggling to cope with ANBU life."

She whirled around, features livid, but the fight escaped her at the genuine concern on his face.

It was a good thing she had a lot of stamina.

"I'm not leaving ANBU," Sakura stated.

"Sakura-"

"Let me finish." He silenced himself, waiting patiently. "I have responsibilities as a medic, Itachi and I have responsibilities as a teammate. Team Seven…" She shook her head. "They've never truly needed me like this squad does. Being in ANBU has given me purpose, it's pushed me to become my best, even in bad situations. I finally feel like I belong somewhere."

Sensing that he was now allowed to speak, Itachi told her simply and without hesitation, "You do not belong in ANBU. You may not realise it now, but it is destroying you and soon enough, you will be forced to deal with that." Stubbornly, Sakura glanced over to her photographs, not wanting to look him in the eye. That seemed to give him more ammunition, though. "You talk about your responsibilities, however, you're forgetting that you are a person, too." Like he had only moments ago, he stepped closer to her. "Our precious people who have died are gone, Sakura." Her eyes shot to his, widening with rage and disbelief. "There is no way to bring them back. The only thing you can do is focus on the living and the now."

"Hypocrite."

Itachi was unfazed by her insult. "Call me whatever you want-"

"You're such a goddamned hypocrite," she snapped, uncaring for her neighbours as she raised her voice to the point where it cracked under the strain. "You're only accepting the role as patriarch because of your _responsibilities _to the clan." Green eyes narrowed dangerously and her upper lip curled. "And you always, _always_, push people away because you lost your genin team!"

For the first time _ever_, Sakura saw shock on his face. He was absolutely stunned that she knew such knowledge and wasn't even trying to hide it from her. "How…?"

"I just know," she muttered, forcing herself to calm down before she really dropped herself in it. "So don't go spouting all this crap and trying to make yourself seem like some kind of saint, because in my eyes, you're just a hypocrite who's struggling just as much as I am to let go of the past." He was still too shocked to say anything and it numbed her anger somewhat, it made her heart go out to him. "But I feel like I know you because of that pain. I didn't want to open up to anyone or let anyone in after Ino's death. I was terrified of being hurt like that again. Maybe you feel the same or maybe you don't. I just feel like you understand."

He must have noticed the turn their conversation had taken, because Itachi was suddenly wearing a knowing expression, a look of realisation and unease.

"So even if you don't want it, Itachi…" Sakura gazed at him seriously. "My heart is yours. Please take care of it."

There.

She had confessed.

Before she could even realise what was happening, two strong hands gripped her wrists tightly and her back was connecting to the wall, easily knocking the breath out of her.

"How can you give your heart to somebody so easily?"

The voice, while still as smooth as it always had been, was demanding and, dare Sakura say, _angry_.

"Itachi, I-"

"You are a very reckless woman, Sakura," Itachi cut her off and in the darkness, she could see his red and black eyes narrowing. "You know very little about me, you don't even have my trust, yet you are willing to trust me with something so… _delicate._"

Her lips thinned, but whether it was because of the pain flaring in her wrists from his grasp, or because of his words, she couldn't tell. "I know enough about you to know you can take care of it."

"How can you be so sure?" he demanded and vaguely, Sakura realised that this was the _only_ time she had even seen him so wound up, so tense. Even when they were arguing, he was calm and in control. Even when he ambushed her at the hospital, he hadn't been half as angry with her as he was in that moment. "I could break it without even trying. I could break you."

She watched him for what felt like the longest time. She watched the blankness of his emotions, yet the tenseness of his jaw. She watched how he fought hard for control because that was all he knew. Control was all he knew. Somebody else's feelings left him at a loss of what to do. "…You won't do that," whispered Sakura after a few moments. She cleared her throat to speak louder. "You won't."

And then he was leaning forward, growing closer and closer until all Sakura could see were his blurred features, but just as she was certain he was about to do _something_, Itachi turned his head to the side and lowered his lips to her ear, shutting his eyes.

"Don't be so sure."

Before she could think of a reply, the hold on her relinquished and she was alone.


	35. Thanks For Making Me A Fighter

**Chapter 35**

**Thanks For Making Me A Fighter**

* * *

It was cold and windy, with thunder booming over her and flashes of lightning lighting up the otherwise pitch black sky. Not for the first time that day, her clothes were soaked through from the pouring rain, freezing her to the bone whenever the wind picked up. Still, Sakura fought on, coming to a complete stop outside of a certain door. Her teeth were chattering, tears mixed in with the rain and she shuddered due to the horrible weather. Gods, she was cold.

The door swung open, artificial light pooling around her and the warmth of the home called to Sakura. What she really wanted, however…

"Sakura?"

"M-Mama…"

She wanted her mother.

She wanted her to tell her that everything was going to be okay.

In an instant, like her mother could sense her impending breakdown, the door was released and Mebuki rushed forward, the pair of them falling to their knees as Sakura burst into heart breaking sobs.

"Oh, sweetie," she breathed, bringing her close into a motherly embrace. "I'm sorry I haven't been there." When all her daughter could do was wail, she murmured, "It's the anniversary of Ino-chan's death, isn't it? I'm so sorry."

"It feels like I can't breathe some days," Sakura admitted in a cry, shaking in her mother's arms. "I'm lost, Mama!"

"No, no you're not," Mebuki soothed firmly. "I know it hurts, Sakura, but you're not lost. Not when you have someone up there to look out for you."

"But it feels like part of me is missing," she confided. Mebuki's hold tightened around her. "Like I'm missing an arm or a leg o-or part of my heart and I _can't breathe!"_

This was what she had needed – no, craved. Her mother. While they hadn't always gotten along, Mebuki still knew her well and understood the pain she was going through. Sakura had missed being able to talk to her, had missed being held like she was just an ordinary girl, instead of a member of ANBU, instead of a _kunoichi_.

The door was pushed open once more, having been blown until it was almost shut completely, revealing her father as he stood over them both with a frown of confusion.

"Get some towels, Kizashi," Mebuki ordered and pulled both herself and Sakura to their feet, guiding their daughter inside. "And put the kettle on, too. We need to warm her up."

* * *

Exhausted.

Lately, all he ever felt was exhaustion – a feeling that only doubled whenever it came to his turbulent relationship with Haruno Sakura.

Falling back onto the bed, a deep sigh left his lips and he slung an arm over his eyes, squeezing them shut. The sound of rain beating against his bedroom window was comforting in an odd way, but the thunder and constant flashes of lightning were not.

Why did things have to be so difficult with Sakura? Why did she have to make it so complicated? He told her to retire from ANBU and she returned fire by confessing her love to him. How did she manage to randomly jump from one topic to another?

More than anything, she was frustrating. Every time Itachi was certain he had her cracked, every time he thought for sure that he knew what she was about to do or say, Sakura would once again make herself unpredictable and he didn't like it. There was no control in unpredictability.

Half of the time when she looked at him, it was like she was seeing somebody else and the other time, it was like she knew all of his secrets, like there was nothing he could hide from her watchful green eyes. The sensation was utterly unnerving. How much did Sakura know about him and how did she know those things? Did she know anything at all? Was he merely being paranoid?

Another clap of thunder, which was no doubt accompanied by lightning.

Once again, he had lost his patience, meaning he had once again lost control. Why was it always Sakura who did that to him?

Whenever they were alone and the conversation steered in a direction he'd hoped it wouldn't, it always felt like she was backing him into a corner and naturally, Itachi fought back, unable to withstand the feeling of being cornered. Did he regret snapping at her not only once, but several times? Of course he did. He regretted it deeply. Would his pride allow him to go back to her home after such a dramatic exit? No, of course it wouldn't.

He was such a fool.

* * *

"Sakura?"

She turned to lay on her stomach, burying her face into her pillow and praying that it would smother her.

Why, oh why, did she have to go and do something so stupid?

Why the hell did she confess to Itachi – the timing hadn't been right at all. On top of that, she'd wandered out during a freaking storm and had some kind of breakdown right on her mother's doorstep. The neighbours would have had a field day if they saw her and it would be spread around the village like wildfire, though hopefully they hadn't.

The door squeaked as it was pushed open, a sign that it had been a while since it was last oiled or opened. Sakura already knew who it was, having recognised the chakra signature before they even reached the bedroom door, but it didn't make her any more willing to have that awkward conversation about what the hell happened the night before. Her mother would pry, something she knew for a fact.

"Sakura?"

Maybe if she stayed silent, her mother would leave-

"Haruno Sakura, I'm your mother, so I know when you're pretending to be asleep."

A groan of annoyance escaped her as the covers were ripped away and despite being the respected, powerful kunoichi that she was, Sakura still fought pitifully to bring them back. It was so freaking cold! Why would her mother do such a horrible thing to her only daughter?

The look on Mebuki's face was nothing short of aggravation and it made her regret her moment of weakness the night before. Yes, she was definitely going to pry into her life now, questioning whether it was worth all the heartache and Sakura didn't have the energy to fight the invasive questions off. Right at that moment in time, she honestly didn't know the answers to those questions.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?"

"No." Turning, she buried her face into the pillow, only to growl under her breath when it was yanked away and thrown to the floor, leaving her to face plant the mattress. "Mom!"

"You're going to start answering some questions right now," Mebuki muttered darkly, standing over her threateningly. "Or do I have to get Tsunade-sama over here to help with the interrogation?"

Damn it. This was partly why they always clashed: Sakura got her anger from her mother, if that wasn't obvious enough. Her father was warm and funny with a sunny personality, whereas her mother was tough and had a fiery determination, never giving up when she wanted something.

Slowly, she flipped onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. "I was having a bad day. That's all."

"Sakura-"

"I'm still a kid," she snapped before she could stop herself and Sakura shot up, glaring at her mother. "Despite what everyone thinks I'm still just a kid, you know!"

It surprised her immensely when Mebuki stared back understandingly. "I know you are." Sighing, she sat down on the edge of the bed, hands coming to rest on her lap. "That's why I pry, Sakura. You're still a child and you're _my_ child. What kind of mother would I be if I didn't pry?"

Tiredly, as the fight left her quicker than it flared to life, she nodded and fell back against the wall, shutting her eyes. "I wish things were simple again. Back when I was thirteen, my main concern was Sasuke-kun not returning my stupid feelings. Now… I've given up so much, Mama and I've lost my best friend and…" There were no tears left to be cried, but it didn't mean she didn't choke up. It didn't mean there was no excruciating pain to be felt. "I just want to be thirteen again."

Another sigh and when Sakura felt the bed dip, she knew it was because Mebuki had slid backwards until she was also leaning against the wall, sitting only a few inches away from her. "I won't pry into your life as a kunoichi – I promised you the day you made chūnin that I wouldn't – but…" At the pause, green eyes slowly opened, glancing up at her mother hesitantly. "But as a mother speaking to her daughter, as a mother watching her only child struggling with life, I will listen to anything you need to get off your chest, Sakura. I may not agree with that part of your life, but I am your mother and I love you with all my heart."

Overwhelming guilt had her looking away again, had her head dropping to Mebuki's shoulder and shutting her eyes. There she'd been worrying about her mother prying when all Mebuki truly wanted was to be there for her, to help her through the rough patches of her life, like any mother would.

"Where are Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun?" she asked after a pause that lasted too long. "They're usually your shadows at this time of year, aren't they?"

Another load of guilt landed on her shoulders and it almost crushed her. After Ino had died, the team grew closer and closer until she was comfortable with them all seeing her at her worst. Then, on the first anniversary of the blonde's untimely death, they'd been right there, not needing her to say the words for them to know she was suffering immensely.

_"What about Team Seven?" he countered. "What if they're injured and they need you?"_

When she had needed her boys, they'd been there in a heartbeat. Even Sasuke, the boy – no, he was a man now – who was known for his tough love, had been there for her, allowing her to lend his strength to get through the worst of her grief, when her own strength failed her and she couldn't get back on her own feet.

"Mama." Fear had her reaching out and taking her hand, linking their fingers and it eased the fear somewhat when she responded with a gentle squeeze, silently telling her that she was there. "If I tell you something, do you promise you'll listen as a confidant rather than a mother? I really… need some advice."

There was an understandable pause in Mebuki's reply and Sakura knew that she would be fearing the worst, would be wondering what else her daughter had gone through. "What is it, Sakura?"

"I'm not an active member of Team Seven anymore," she replied in a whisper, unable to raise her voice any louder and admitting such a thing had the guilt doubling, making it hard to breathe. "I haven't been for over a year now."

Confusion was obvious in her response of, "Then what team are you in? You're hardly ever in the village and your apartment's empty every time I go to check on you."

It made her happy to know her mother checked up on her. Some days it felt like she truly had no one. It felt like ANBU had forced her to isolate herself and nobody bothered to try and speak with her anymore. "You've heard of Sasuke-kun's older brother, haven't you?"

"Itachi-kun, right?"

"Yeah." Taking a deep breath, her other hand came to their joined ones, fidgeting. "I'm a member of his ANBU squad."

Silence.

More unbearable silence.

And then, quietly, Mebuki repeated, "ANBU?"

She gave a weak smile. "I was asked by Hokage-sama to be a member of the squad that guards him. He recognised my strength and…" Sakura sat up, deciding it was probably best to make eye contact even though her gut warned her not to. "It's an honour, Mama. Hokage-sama recognised my strength and he believed in me enough to have me join the squad that guards his life and family."

There were a mixture of feelings showing on Mebuki's features, ranging from disbelief, to pride, to fear and then finally, uncertainty. "Is that what you wanted?"

"To be recognised? Definitely. It's all I've ever wanted."

"You know that's not what I mean, Sakura."

Green eyes dropped to their hands again. "I was shocked at first, but the people I work with are really good people, Mama. We serve Hokage-sama and protect him with our lives, answering only to him."

"But you're so young!"

"Itachi was even younger when he joined ANBU."

"You're not Itachi-kun, Sakura. You don't belong to some…" Mebuki stood up, waving her hand when no word would form to describe the Uchiha Clan. "Please don't think that I don't believe in you, but you're not Itachi-kun, who is described as a prodigy and one of the most powerful Uchiha to have lived in over a century, to have lived since Uchiha Madara."

The name Madara brought forth many unwanted memories that were not her own, filling Sakura in on who he was and what kind of shinobi he had been. Just his name spread fear throughout the shinobi world and a single attack of his fire style required over forty of Kiri's strongest shinobi to put it out with their water style. He was an unstoppable force and the only man who'd been capable of going head to head with Madara and inflicting damage, was Hashirama – the Shodai Hokage.

"Sakura?"

"Sorry."

It took more force than usual to lock away Itachi's memories and she willed the pounding of her heart to slow down, willed herself to take deep breaths. She'd made a promise to herself that she wouldn't look any further into those memories without the current Itachi's permission. Was that naïve of her? Was it stupid?

"Listen," Mebuki stated with a sigh. "I know that it's an honour to guard the Hokage and I'm incredibly proud of you for proving yourself." Though she knew a 'but' was coming, Sakura still felt her heart swell with happiness. "But please remember that you're not Itachi-kun or whoever else is on your team. You don't have the sharingan or any other kind of technique that gives you an advantage-"

"What do you think this is, Mama?" She tapped the purple diamond on her forehead with her thumb, raising an eyebrow. "It's not a fashion statement, you know."

Mebuki eyed it warily. "It's the same mark as Tsunade-sama's."

She nodded, smiling hesitantly. "And it means I can't die in battle."

"W-What?"

Her smile widened at the obvious hope on her mother's face. "I can heal hundreds at a time with this seal, or I can heal myself no matter how great the damage is."

Tears filled her eyes and Mebuki all but lunged forward, embracing Sakura tightly. In her arms, she laughed quietly and returned the embrace. "I thought you just wanted to look more like Tsunade-sama," she said with a laugh. It was carefree and happy, lightening her darkened mood. "Oh, this makes me so happy, Sakura. I could kiss Tsunade-sama for teaching you how to do this!"

Just the thought of her mother trying to kiss an irritable Tsunade brightened her mood and she laughed more freely.

"My little fighter," she continued, the embrace tightening. "I'm so proud of you, Sakura."

It was the first time her mother had ever said those words when it involved her life as a kunoichi and it made her feel warm all over, made her feel at peace for the first time in a long time.

_Her mother was proud of her!_

"While we're still being so open, I need to ask you something, Mama."

With obvious reluctance, Mebuki pulled back to gaze at her daughter. Pride was still in her eyes, lighting them up and filling them with tears. "What is it?"

"I need advice on boys."

* * *

_The inn would be a few miles ahead, hidden within the trees that towered over him. It was an old run down place, with creaky beds and rotting floorboards, with mould and damp plaguing each and every room. Many times, he was told it would only make his illness worse, but it was the only place they could meet without being caught out._

_How many years the inn had been abandoned was unknown, but the state of the rooms told them it was, at the very least, a decade. Perhaps during the last war, in fact. It had no electricity or running water, however, there were a few candles and they always made sure to have their canteens filled to the brim before going._

_Nobody, beside themselves, ever visited the place and the only remains of chakra he could detect were the ones belonging to animals. They were safe there and his precautionary traps, both physical traps and genjutsu, made it more secure._

_Unsurprisingly, the girl was already there, standing in front of the sad image that was the inn, looking unbelievably out of place. She was wringing her hands together in front of herself, pink eyebrows knitting together with clear indecision. It was no secret that Haruno Sakura was loyal to her village, to her childhood crush, so was continuously warring with herself about their meetings._

_This would be their fourth meeting at the inn. They didn't arrange meetings on the off chance that she was being watched, but when Itachi knew that she was out of the village on a solo mission, he summoned her with one of his crows and she knew to follow it._

_Wisely, it was her want to continue living that had her agreeing with healing him to a certain extent. Of course, he would never physically harm her, but she didn't know that and for the time being, it was imperative to continue his supposedly unpredictably violent, mass-murdering personality. All he had to do in order to keep that façade up was scare her every once in a while, reminding her not to step out of line. It was no different from his everyday life._

"_Itachi-san," she greeted coolly, hands stopping their fidgeting._

"_Sakura-san."_

_It was without another word that they entered the inn, with him disengaging the set up traps and resetting them once they were inside. As always, everything was covered in a thick layer of dust – neither of them cared enough to clean it, knowing that it would be best to leave it alone, should they ever be followed. That was a part of being a rogue-nin, unfortunately. You had to constantly look over your shoulder and make sure you never left a single trace behind._

_Instead of going up the stairs and to one of the rooms, they went behind the desk and into what was presumably the home of the previous owner. All personal possessions were missing, making it apparent that the person had left with the intention of never returning, although the furniture remained, confirming his earlier suspicion of the owner leaving in a hurry. It was definitely more than likely due to the war._

"_We'll get straight to it," she told him._

_Itachi admired her bravery, it had to be said. The whole setup could have been controlled entirely by him, with Sakura having absolutely no input, but she repeatedly made it known that _she_ was the medic, so they would work on _her_ terms._

_There was no need to repeat all earlier warnings, should she try to attack him in the guise of healing him. Sakura knew by now not to test his seemingly short patience. After all, if he was capable of killing his clansmen and parents to test his capacity, a kunoichi with no ties to him other than being a Konoha-nin, would be ridiculously easy._

_After removing his cloak and placing it over a stool to the dressing table, he sat down onto the bed that creaked beneath his weight and Itachi leaned back, slowly laying down. There was obvious disgust in Sakura's bright green eyes as she regarded the cloak that signified him as a member of Akatsuki, but she didn't pass a comment unlike every other time they met._

"_I can't spend too long here," Sakura informed him and sat by his side on the bed, hands going about their task of poking and prodding at his organs from the outside. "Tsunade-sama is expecting me to return tonight."_

_The journey to Konoha wouldn't be too long if she pushed herself hard enough, though they were getting on in the day now and he supposed he could sympathise with her on some level. After all, Sakura was still young and wouldn't be used to travelling great distances at high speeds. Her stamina wasn't too impressive._

_That being said… Her medical ninjutsu _was_ something to be admired._

_Shutting his eyes, though certainly not letting his guard down, Itachi allowed himself to relax under her ministrations. The sensation was always calming, never permitting him to remain stressed and tensed, as it soothed all those aches and pains and left him feeling better than ever. It never lasted for too long, of course, what with his illness and deteriorating sight, but it lasted long enough to keep him going until their next healing session._

_If Sakura had any questions as to why he wouldn't allow her to heal him completely, she didn't voice them._

_He couldn't help but wonder how different everything would have been if Danzo had never existed. Would Itachi be a Konoha-nin once more, living in the district with his family? Would he still be loved by his brother? Would Shisui be alive? _ _And what of Sakura? Would Sasuke still be in Konoha, spending time with his friends like a boy his age should? Would something have developed between the two of them in regards to Sakura's crush and Sasuke's inability to harm her? Would he have introduced her to their family? Would they have approved of her?_

_There was no use considering those thoughts. Not only that, but it annoyed him, too._

_The girl kneeling by his side was most definitely pure, with a heart that was capable of loving even the evillest of men unconditionally. It was the reason why she'd suffered heartbreak as many times as she had. No matter what Sasuke did, no matter how many times he broke her heart, she continued to love him and defend him._

_His brother was lucky to have such a girl._

_And maybe, just maybe, Itachi was envious of the love his brother continuously threw away like it meant nothing at all to him._

* * *

Shit!

Tired green eyes stared up at her childhood bedroom ceiling. The locked door had let a memory of his slip through, much to her displeasure. Feeling the other Itachi's longing and suffering was not something she needed, not after last night's events and breakdown. Was that why it happened? Because she was emotionally weak? Either way, it had Sakura throwing back the covers and slipping out of her single bed, remaking it once she was up. Going back to sleep clearly wasn't going to be allowed, not if there were more memories waiting to lunge at her, forcing her to relive Itachi's suffering.

Still, something about the memory bothered her. Had her other self not been entirely loyal to Konoha? To heal a rogue-nin, no matter what they threatened you with, were the actions of a traitor. Instead of doing their bidding in order to save your own life, you were supposed to snap at them, spitting that you'd rather they killed you than made you a traitor.

She wasn't saying that she wanted the other Itachi to suffer, because she didn't. Sakura was simply annoyed at her other self for being so weak in her loyalty for the village she called home, no matter how much Itachi took notice of her supposed loyalty. How was she to know that, once he was healed, he wouldn't strike and kill her anyway? That he wouldn't go on to murdering Sasuke?

How disgustingly naïve her other self was.

With obvious annoyance, Sakura walked over to the balcony, sneaking out. She would rather not speak with her parents while her mood was souring the way it was, as it would certainly lead to an argument and after their touching moment only hours before, she would rather not spoil it all.

The sun was attempting to break through the grey clouds, though it didn't seem to be working very well. It still looked like it was about to lash it down with yet more rain and Sakura was beginning to wonder whether they should change their name to Ame, as it always rained there, too.

As the weather was terrible, it kept the streets fairly empty and made it easier for her to navigate through them, heading towards a store that had once been a second home for her.

It was still difficult being there, Sakura realised with a sigh, though didn't turn to leave as she instead bought a special arrangement of flowers. She didn't recognise the person who served her, but going from their hair and eye colour, she was betting that they were a member of the Yamanaka Clan. It made her wonder if Ino's mother was back at work yet, because it would be a shame to witness the business slowly die. Ino had adored the flower store.

Holding the flowers close to her chest, Sakura breathed in their scent, smiling to herself. Azaleas were always beautiful to her. They symbolised many things, but the main two she was trying to get across was gratitude and for them to take care. Gratitude for bringing a wonderful girl into the world, for that girl to then go on and befriend her and look out for her.

Being in the Yamanaka home, however, was more difficult than being at the store and so Sakura took a deep breath, reeling in her emotions as she knocked softly on the front door. It wasn't too far from the flower store, since the Yamanaka Clan wasn't so large and snobby that it needed its own district like the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clans did. They were integrated with the villagers.

Inoichi looked totally exhausted when he answered, but something warmed in his teal eyes as he saw her and Sakura felt her heart take an awful blow. Fine wrinkles were etched into his features, making him appear so much older than he actually was and she knew Ino would be heartbroken at the sight of her once proud father.

"Inoichi-san," she greeted quietly.

"I'm glad you visited, Sakura," he replied.

"It would've been sooner, but…" She swallowed and glanced down at the flowers. "Even though it was two days ago, I still wanted to bring you some flowers."

Inoichi accepted them with both hands, releasing the front door as he did so. "Thank you." There was a pause as he stared at them, taking in their meaning and then he looked back to her. "Would you like to come in?"

No, she wouldn't. Not when she knew it would make the pain in her heart so much worse. Despite that, Sakura gave a watery smile and nodded, following Inoichi into the home.

It was cold. That was the first thing she took notice of and even though there were so many colours, even though the décor was bright and lively, it all felt dead. Like the happiness of the home died along with their only daughter, leaving their lives empty and meaningless.

There was another bouquet of flowers resting on the table, along with a large dish of food and it didn't take a genius to know that they were gifts from Shikamaru and Choji.

"My wife is resting at the moment," Inoichi explained when her eyes wandered around the open home. "It's been…"

Unbearable to a level Sakura had no hopes in understanding.

The depressing air to the home was weighing down on her, but she endured it, sitting down on one of the plush sofas and smiling at Inoichi as he placed the tea cups down onto the coffee table, sitting opposite her. Then, with a quiet tsk, she picked up two coasters and picked the cups up, putting them on there instead.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Ino was always on my case about that, too. Some things just don't stay with you."

Tilting her head, she sat back and took a sip of her tea, ignoring the bitter taste of it. "She was always a bossy person."

A soft smile graced his lips at that.

In her heart, guilt bloomed. She'd promised Ino's parents that she wouldn't be a stranger, that she would continue to visit them even if it hurt her to do so, but because of ANBU, she'd been unable to keep that promise. Would Ino be angry with her? Would she be disappointed?

"Do you believe in signs, Inoichi-san?" He looked up, frowning softly at her question. "I had the weirdest dream the other night and it felt like… a sign, of sorts."

Another sigh and he leaned back in his seat. "I think sometimes we see things in a certain light because we don't want to accept the truth," came his quiet reply. "Many argue that those who claim to see signs are superstitious, while others cling to them because it's all they have left."

Was that how it felt for him? Did he cling to supposed signs, hoping that it was his only child reaching out to him? "I passed out in front of the cenotaph," she admitted just as softly. "And I dreamed that I was with Ino and she was reaching out to me, holding my hand." Faintly, she blushed, looking away from his gentle gaze. "When I woke up, I was holding my… Somebody's hand." It felt strange telling him about Itachi, for some reason. The man was like a second father, after all. "I feel like she was telling me let that person in, to open my heart again."

"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" She nodded quickly, willing away the vicious ache in her throat. "Ino cared about you just as much, Sakura. That's why I know she wouldn't want you wasting away in the past." Again, she nodded and her hold tightened on her teacup. "Ino would want you to move on."

It felt so wrong, though. How was she supposed to leave her best friend in the past and move on without her? Ino was like her left hand – her strongest at throwing punches, punches that would destroy clearings, reduce mountains to rubble and change landscapes. She was supposed to be right by her side, experiencing life with her and going through the same hurdles as herself. They were supposed to fall in love over and over again, consoling one another when their hearts were broken and then piecing each other back together again.

Green eyes slid shut and Sakura sighed, willing away the ever-present ache. "I can't help but feel guilty," she confessed shakily. "Why do we get to live on when…?"

"That's how it goes," he replied, voice rougher. It sounded loaded with pain and grief. "Lives are fleeting, Sakura. They end quicker than they begin and that's why you're supposed to do everything you can to leave an impact."

The pain doubled despite her smile. "We're supposed to bloom into beautiful flowers."

He returned her smile. "Exactly. Sometimes, it can't be helped that some of us get stuck. It's sad when a flower doesn't bloom, as there is no telling how much potential that flower had, but nature goes on and we move on with it."

That sounded very similar to what Ino had once told her, Sakura recalled sadly. "I often wonder if she's watching over us, more than likely laughing at how tragic my love life has gone and saying how hers would be so much better."

Much to her happiness, her words brought laughter to Inoichi and his features lightened with the laughter.

* * *

The sun had won the battle with the clouds, shining stubbornly down on them and Sakura smiled minutely up at the sky as she left the Yamanaka home. Like the sky, her heart felt lighter, it felt happier than it had in a while. Speaking with Inoichi had been therapeutic in a way and she hoped Shikamaru would also speak with him at some point, if he hadn't already.

"Sakura."

She turned on her heel after stepping down the stairs, smiling at Shisui as he walked towards her. "Shisui."

"You're looking better," he commented. "I'm glad."

"I just spoke with Ino's dad," she told him and fell into step beside Shisui, walking to an unknown destination. At that moment, she didn't particularly care about where she was going. She was simply grateful for the ache to have eased up. "He was really grateful to see me and we talked." When he smiled in return, Sakura then asked, "Where are you headed?"

"Home," he stated and scratched the back of his head. "I have just returned from a solo mission."

"Nothing too serious?"

"Messenger duty." Shisui sighed. "Sometimes it's a pain being fast."

She laughed at that, understanding his pain. While she was about as fast as a tortoise compared to him, her skills as a medic made it so she was always in high demand, whether it be on a troublesome mission or surgery at the hospital. It was tiring.

"At least you can rest now," she soothed. Then, almost hesitantly, Sakura asked, "Has there been any news about the team?"

Once again, Shisui sighed. This time it was filled with more than just exhaustion. "Itachi is being ridiculously difficult with the elders. He wishes to remain as our caption, despite their orders."

So he'd been telling the truth last night. She bit her lip worriedly and glanced around herself, not surprised to find that they were headed in the direction of the Uchiha district. "He told me… It's because of me." Wide eyes tried to make contact with hers, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to do so. "He doesn't want to leave while I'm still an active member."

"That idiot," Shisui muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Was he, though? For once, Itachi was trying hard for a bond – well, for the first time since the death of his genin team. Wasn't that something to be grateful for? Or happy about? "He asked me to retire."

It didn't seem to surprise the Uchiha. "Don't do anything you don't want to, Sakura," he said seriously and, dare she say, angrily. "It has nothing to do with Itachi what you do with your life."

But, she…

"I confessed-"

Before the sentence could be finished, green eyes locked onto another set of dark and she stopped in her tracks just as he did, several feet away from one another. By her side, Shisui stopped, too, remaining beside her and at _his_ side, was Izumi. It felt like a stare down, of sorts.

"Itachi." It stunned her when Shisui spoke to him coolly, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "No clan duties?"

His eyes didn't leave hers and Sakura felt her heart leap straight into her throat. Like she'd thought it would be: it was awkward and uncomfortable. Her confession had caused distance between them.

"I have been given the afternoon off."

…And he chose to spend it with Izumi. Childish jealousy swelled within her and her previously lightened mood darkened once again. Maybe she'd read the situation wrong? Maybe something was going on between them, just like it had in the other Itachi's universe? Izumi had loved him then and she loved him now. He couldn't be oblivious to that. The other Itachi wasn't and it was why he gave her the ending she desired, the ending he believed she had deserved.

"I see," Shisui replied before saying, "Sakura and I were just about to go for dinner. Would you like to join us?"

What was he doing? She wanted to tell Shisui to shut up, that she didn't want to spend time with either of those people and she didn't want Itachi to think that something was going on with them and she just… didn't want to be there. Rubbing her arm restlessly, Sakura debated on running away. As stupid and as childish as it would appear, it would still get her away from there. She'd made a horrible decision in confessing to Itachi the night before and it was way too soon to be facing him.

"We are on our way to the training grounds, actually," interjected Izumi. "Aren't we, Itachi-kun?"

He nodded.

"What a shame," came Shisui's flippant reply. "It could have been our last meal as teammates."

That gained him Itachi's attention as their eyes met, with the younger man's narrowing fractionally. "I have not left the team-"

"I am stepping up as captain," he told him bluntly. "I will take care of the team, Itachi, so you don't have to worry about troubling yourself with keeping them safe anymore."

A vicious whip lashed at her heart at his words, at just the mere thought of Itachi simply feeling obligated to keep her safe, instead of holding any feelings for her.

"A submissive Haruno," Izumi scoffed suddenly. "What a pitiful sight."

Yes, yes it was.

"Submissive?" Shisui laughed, though they could all tell it wasn't genuine. "There is not a submissive bone in Sakura's body, Izumi-san. Have you ever heard the saying: pot calling the kettle black, by any chance?"

Two best friends tearing into each other was not what she wanted. Shisui was not supposed to side with her, a girl he hardly knew, over the man he witnessed grow up, the man he'd known for well over twenty years now. Maybe Itachi was in the wrong and maybe that was what Shisui was trying to get across to him, but it hurt her greatly to witness it. They were supposed to be friends.

Again, her eyes connected with Itachi's and Sakura found herself feeling frustrated at the lack of response from him, at the lack of emotion. He seemed so uncaring about it all and it killed her on the inside.

"Sakura, is-"

"Enough," she ordered. "I'm tired of it."

Shisui looked down at her, frowning. "Is that really what you want?" he asked. "To just walk away?"

"What's the point?" She looked to Itachi, shrugging at him. "No matter what I do, even after confessing my feelings to you, you refuse to let me in."

Izumi looked startled to say the least, her dark eyes widening as they shot between herself and Itachi.

* * *

"_He's… gone," she cried into his chest. "Sasuke-kun is lost in his darkness and it's all your goddamn fault!" Despite her harsh words, Sakura continued to cling to him, unknowingly causing his throat to tighten and his eyes to sting and he hoped that she didn't look up any time soon. After successfully remaining undercover for however many years, he didn't want a single woman's emotional breakdown to destroy everything he'd done. "Why the hell do you seem like two different people?"_

* * *

The sudden assault of the other Itachi's memories stunned her to say the least, taking her breath away. Her other self… before they even got the chance to confess their feelings properly, she had…

Ino's face flashed through her mind, re-sparking the fight within her.

Life was too short!

"Why?" she demanded, tears stinging her eyes. "Why won't you let me in?"

"Come, Sakura," Shisui attempted to console her.

"No, you're right. I can't just walk away," Sakura yelled and yanked her arm free, taking a step closer to Itachi, who was staring back at her. "It's okay for you to kiss me and hold me, but when things start to get emotional, you suddenly shut me out. Is it just a game to you?" She took another step towards him, her expression crumbling. "Am _I_ just a game to you?"

By his side, Izumi looked between them, frowning. "You don't have to answer that out here, Itachi-kun."

"Stay out of it." Her voice was calm, unnervingly so. "You've interfered before, telling Itachi that I'm in a relationship with Shisui – _his best friend!"_

The sudden rise in volume had Shisui grabbing her arm once more, holding her back, but the second he saw the flash of red in Izumi's eyes, his own sharingan activated and he raised a single hand, forming a single seal all the while pushing Sakura behind him. She wasn't sure why, but the sight of it had Izumi's eyes going wide, staring up at a stunned Itachi with disbelief.

"Do not make me use _that_ jutsu, Izumi-san," Shisui warned. "Deactivate your sharingan before I do so using force."

"Itachi-kun, do-"

"Do as he says, Izumi."

"But-"

"You should know that Itachi is unable to go against me in this area, Izumi-san. He may be able to use this jutsu, as expected of the heir to the clan, but he cannot match me. I will make sure the effects are permanent."

Because his sharingan was way more powerful.

"Deactivate your sharingan," he ordered coldly. "This is the last time I am saying this and if you ignore my order again, I will take it as disobedience."

Sakura could only imagine what Shisui's expression was, since he was still holding her behind him and it made her wonder how powerful Izumi's sharingan actually was, for the mere thought of it activating to cause such a reaction. There wasn't much to go on – not even in the other Itachi's memories – however, she could remember the Uchiha woman saying once before that it was an honour to see her sharingan, as not a lot did and they certainly didn't live to tell the tale.

Slowly, with obvious frustration, Izumi's eyes returned to their ordinary blackness and she once more glanced to Itachi, like she was waiting for his orders. It only further confirmed the memories the other version had stored away: she'd been madly in love with him, something he'd thanked her for as she died in his arms. This version of Izumi loved Itachi just as much – she was defending him against his best friend, of all people. But did he return her feelings? There was never any love between them in the other timeline and Sakura knew that for a fact, because she was _seeing_ Itachi's memories, all of them, for herself. He cared for her, yes, and others viewed them as a couple, yes, but he did not return her feelings. He'd believed that too much was going on for anything of the sort to happen, or to allow himself to fall in love. And in the end, he'd thanked her for loving him, not said that he loved her, too.

So what about this version? Did he return Izumi's feelings, or was he grateful for them? Was he even aware of them at all?

"Itachi?" she spoke with a small voice, stepping around Shisui and closer to him. Ignoring both Izumi and Shisui's presence, Sakura bravely reached out, placing her hand over his chest, over his heart. It was pounding just as badly as hers was. "Does it really mean nothing?"

He replied by walking away and all she could do was stare after him helplessly, only vaguely seeing the empathetic look Izumi shot her way before following after Itachi.

Shisui sighed as he stood by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

* * *

The sight of Haruno Sakura, so emotionally vulnerable and in pain, was not pleasant. For reasons he couldn't even begin to understand, it made his insides twist harshly, made his throat ache horribly. Talking was out of the question when he couldn't even trust his own voice, let alone his words.

It was indescribably exasperating not being able to trust yourself around somebody you considered yourself to be close to. They were friends. Friends who occasionally sought comfort from one another, who occasionally kissed and embraced each other. How was it possible to feel so on edge around her? Like she knew so much more than what she was supposed to, but at the same time, didn't understand him at all?

Walking to the training grounds, both he and Izumi were silent and for that, he was grateful.

He hadn't expected to see Sakura so soon after her confession the night before, so to see her with his best friend – who then went on to say he'd replaced him on the team and basically made it clear his presence was no longer necessary – had been… uncomfortable, to say the least.

Was he in the wrong? Itachi couldn't help but wonder. He and Shisui had been best friends, practically brothers, since he was just four years old. Why was he suddenly siding against him? Was it because he was wrong? Or was it because he valued Sakura's friendship over theirs? It seemed like a petty, paranoid thought, but Itachi couldn't help but feel as though he'd lost an important friend and it stung.

"Itachi-kun?"

The hand on his arm forced him to stop walking and he was surprised to find that they were already at the training grounds.

"Were you planning on walking all the way to Suna?" Izumi joked lightly.

He tried to return her smile, but even he could tell that it was a pitiful attempt.

"That girl is really hurting," she murmured. "But Shisui was wrong to butt heads with you like that."

Was he? Or was he trying to make him see something he wasn't capable of seeing by himself? Shisui, for as long as Itachi had known him (which was more or less his entire life), had never been one for taking sides. He was a man who tried to view things from all perspectives before making up his mind on who to side with, should he be left with no choice but to.

What was there to see, anyway? That he was losing his friendship with Sakura because they may or may not have feelings for one another? Itachi knew that already and yes, it hurt, but it would hurt much more if something happened between them and she died. After all, what had happened once he and Tenma became friends? He had died. He'd fought for them both and died during the battle and Itachi had been unable to do anything. The same went for Shinko and even their sensei, too. They had all died not long after they formed bonds and it left him with an agonising ache in his heart, one that still hurt to this day.

His gaze strayed over to the cenotaph at the end of the training grounds. There were already too many names on there and he knew Sakura understood what it felt like to lose someone precious. Why would she want to risk that pain again? Why would she want to risk experiencing it on a whole new level if they were to become lovers?

"Itachi-kun." Izumi smiled up at him sweetly, but when their eyes met, he was surprised to find her sharingan activated. "We need to talk."


	36. You Will Never Break Me Down

**Chapter 36**

**You Will Never Break Me Down**

* * *

As soon as she spotted three somewhat familiar faces in the streets of Konoha, Sakura spun on her heel and marched straight over to the Hokage's office, demanding to see him urgently. His assistant, a plain looking woman who was dressed reservedly, looked startled by her urgency, but was quick to comply with her order.

What in the hell did they think they were doing going outside? And in plain view! Had they forgotten the situation they were in? Or the implications of what-

"Hokage-sama will see you now, Haruno-senpai."

She didn't need to be told twice and entered the office in a hurry, slamming the door behind her and not bothering to hide her annoyance as she did so. Minato sat behind his desk, sitting back in his seat and looking relaxed, like there was nothing at all that could ruin his day. How could he sit there like that when those three were out in the village?

Despite her very strong belief in them being one hundred percent innocent, Itachi's words had been right, too. It would be disastrous for Konoha's safety to have them out and about, where the information could be leaked to other villages that they were housing supposed criminals. They had merchants and delegates coming in and out of the village all the time, so who was to say that they wouldn't spread the word? Or that there wasn't a spy? They hardly blended in with the crowd.

"Ah, Sakura-chan. You look flustered."

Flustered didn't cut it! "I just saw Yahiko-san, Konan-san and Nagato-san out in the market." When all that met her was silence, she frowned. "Hokage-sama, forgive me for being rude, but is that really a wise decision?"

Wasn't he thinking about their village's safety at all?

He sighed at that. "Sakura-chan, you told me that you believed they were all innocent because you had met them." Raising an eyebrow, he then said, "I believe if the villagers saw them and spoke with them, then they would come to the same realisation as the rest of us: they're pacifists."

"We _fought_ with them," Sakura countered, frown deepening. "Even if they are pacifists, they're still willing to use force to protect those who can't protect themselves, such as the weaker villages during wars."

"Yes, but they-"

Hands coming down on his desk silenced him, the bold move knocking the pile of paperwork to the ground, scattering the sheets of paper and in the back of her mind, she knew she would more than likely offer to pick it all up for him towards the end of their meeting.

"Hokage-sama!"

The look that was settled on her was both unimpressed and understanding, though she certainly wouldn't have thought it was possible to wear both expressions simultaneously. "I will agree that Nagato-san wields a particularly powerful weapon that will, no doubt, put our shinobi on edge, however-"

"However, _nothing,"_ she snapped, unable to stop herself from rudely cutting him off. Damn it, why was he being so goddamn naïve? Why was everyone testing her patience today? "We're playing with fire by allowing them to roam the village, Hokage-sama and _we_ will be the ones who get burned."

"Has anything happened so far?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Did you know that they were out in the market until you saw them for yourself?"

With obvious embarrassment, Sakura stood up straight and took a step back, looking out of the window instead of at Minato. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Then why are you kicking up a fuss?" he asked lightly, smiling. When she was younger, that smile never failed to soothe her worries, as it was a smile that held a thousand promises – something both Naruto and Kakashi had inherited, it seemed. The smile dimmed and once more, Minato grew more serious. "I understand that this time of year-"

"Please don't try and use that against me, Hokage-sama," Sakura retorted just as seriously, hands coming together behind her back. "This has nothing to do with Ino's death or how I deal with it – this is purely about my concern for the village's safety. The villagers may be okay with their presence, but we have merchants and delegates entering and leaving Konoha every minute of every day, so how can we be certain that they're not going to report back to their Kage about it? Or spread the word until it reaches a Kage?"

Why it had taken so long to understand what Itachi was trying to tell her, Sakura would never know. All she knew was that the village was at risk if another village saw the three of them.

"How many villages lost their jinchūriki, Hokage-sama?" she questioned softly. "How many of them have been attacked and destroyed in the process?" Her features begged of him to see things from her – from Itachi's – perspective. "How would you feel if the situation was reversed? If it was Naruto or even Kushina-sama who was taken?"

The man's features were more or less set in stone, for not a single muscle twitched on his face, nor did a single emotion flicker in his brilliant blue eyes. Sakura knew she was probably bugging him and that she definitely sounded like a paranoid old coot living in a young girl's body, but somebody had to say it.

"They will be outraged, Hokage-sama. Both at the audacity of the three of them taking the tailed beasts – although we know that isn't true – and at us for housing them afterwards. Don't you think they'll find it suspicious that we still have both our jinchūriki?"

When she said no more, Minato surprised her by sighing and asking, "What happened, Sakura-chan?"

Her earlier frown returned. "Excuse me?"

"To put you in this bad mood." Tilting his head to the side, he offered her a small smile. "I find Kushina is more prone to complaining when she is in a bad mood."

Did he just…?

Behind her back, her fists clenched, knuckles cracking under the strain. "This isn't a _girl_ thing!"

"But something did happen, I take it."

"That…" The argument died on her tongue and Sakura's green eyes left his once more, going back to staring out of the window angrily. Unlike during the confrontation, the sun was now shining brightly, making them all wonder if the past storm had been their imagination.

A more comforting smile played along his lips and his eyes softened. "Would you like to talk about it?"

With undeniable agitation, she ran a hand through her hair. Her love life problems were nothing to do with the Hokage. It didn't negatively affect her out on missions, nor did it hinder her ability of healing people. If anything, it made her more determined and she would throw herself into her work to forget about her pains.

After Itachi and Izumi had left them standing there, Sakura had walked away from Shisui without another word. Yes, he'd been doing what he thought would help, but it hadn't in the least and it actually _hurt_ Itachi. The pounding of his heart beneath her hand… It told her everything he wouldn't: he wasn't as unfeeling as he wanted people to believe. And she was hurting, because he was hurting.

"There's nothing to talk about, Hokage-sama."

"Is that so?"

Sakura nodded once firmly and deciding that they were getting off track, she then demanded, "So what are we going to do about our situation?"

He sighed deeply and reached out for a scroll that rested on the edge of his desk, rolling it open and glancing at its contents. "There is no situation, Sakura-chan."

Oh, no. He was so not dismissing her. Not when their village was at risk. She'd given up way too much for it to all be thrown to the wind. "Please reconsider your choice, Hokage-sama," she spoke calmly despite her increasing anger. "It's for their own safety just as much as it is for Konoha's."

"Is it?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. They're good people."

Glancing up, he raised a brow. "That is why I am not forcing them to live as criminals, no matter how temporary this situation may be." Minato regarded her closely for a moment and it made her want to shift from one foot to the other, for it felt as though he was seeing right through her and all her fronts. "So far, Sakura-chan, there have been no issues, therefore no reason for my interference. Yahiko-san is especially determined to prove that they are being wrongly accused and if their being on the streets of our village, conversing with and helping others proves that, then so be it."

Knowing that there wasn't much else she could do, Sakura gritted her teeth and nodded once, accepting it for how it was. There would be no changing Minato's mind now that it was made up and while she didn't regret her decision in going against Itachi's beliefs, she now understood clearly as to why he was so hesitant in bringing the three into the village for their protection.

There was every chance that there could be another war should the other villages catch wind of it.

"Understood."

"Before you leave," he said, looking up at her once more, "is there anything you wish to discuss with me?"

She suddenly felt put on the spot. "Such as what, Hokage-sama?"

When all Minato did was stare at her, Sakura was certain that he knew the truth, but wouldn't breathe a word until she said it herself. Whether it was due to his position as Hokage or because he didn't want to break her trust, Minato wouldn't outright accuse her of meddling with time, or knowing somebody who had meddled with time. It was in the way he was staring at her, in the way he had always watched her like he was seeing right through her. What she couldn't understand was when or how he'd caught on. Was it before the attack on Fugaku? Was it before her battle with Hidan and Kakuzu? Was she merely being paranoid? Her heart willed that to be the case, but deep down, she knew that it wasn't. Sakura could feel it in her gut and part of her even felt relieved at the thought of her Hokage knowing the truth.

"There's no use in denying anything, is there?"

He raised a single eyebrow, features serious. "Not a lot gets by me, Sakura-chan. Not when it concerns the safety of my village."

Her heart was in her throat. "How long have you…?"

"I had my suspicions," he stated. "What happened to Fugaku-san confirmed those suspicions, however. How would somebody manage to infiltrate not only my village, but also the Uchiha District? Who could possibly know of my security procedures – ones that I set up myself – as well as Fugaku-san's?" Her mouth fell open, ready to counter, but he silenced her. "ANBU have been watching the district for many years, regardless of my feelings towards it. Not too long ago, however, that changed when Danzo-sama was assassinated." Faintly, blue eyes narrowed. "I will not talk badly about the dead, but it is common knowledge that Danzo-sama had questionable ideals. His feelings towards the Uchiha Clan were also well-known. Due to his hatred, he ordered ANBU to watch over them. Due to being watched, Fugaku-san did what he had to, to protect his clan and family and I agreed with him wholeheartedly.

"So tell me, Sakura-chan, who would know of the precautions for the district other than Fugaku-san?"

It wasn't exactly rocket science. She swallowed. "Mikoto-sama. Itachi. Possibly Shisui, too." Sasuke was too young to know just yet, although saying that, Itachi had been a child when it was all set up. "Maybe Sasuke-kun."

Minato's expression became grim. "And who would know of the safety precautions set up around the village?"

Her voice shook when she replied with, "Only selected ANBU."

Leaning forward in his seat, his eyes narrowed further and in that moment, Sakura felt as though she was under a spotlight in an interrogation room. It was like he was looking right through her. What had meant to be a complaint about the safety of the village had turned into…

"Who falls under both those categories?" When she refused to reply, he then asked, "Did Itachi-kun attack his own father, Sakura-chan?"

Wait, he didn't suspect anything about the other Itachi? He thought that it was _this_ Itachi who attacked his father?

"It's not like that," she argued. "It wasn't that version of himself!"

He nodded once, still deadly serious. "I know."

W-What?

Shit! She'd dropped herself in it, hadn't she? Damn it. That was what being paranoid all the time did to a shinobi!

"How?" Sakura couldn't help but demand. How in the hell had the tables been turned on her so abruptly? "How could you jump to a conclusion like that?"

"Itachi-kun was on a mission with a particularly large group during the attack on Fugaku-sama, Sakura-chan and while I do not distrust any of you, I asked Gaara-kun and his ANBU whether Itachi-kun left at any point during the mission. According to their reports: he did not. It is not possible to be in two places at the same time – not even Naruto's clones can withstand such a distance, even with his large chakra reserves."

The watchful gazes of her Hokage flashed through her mind, along with all the times he'd asked her if there was anything she wished to discuss, or if there was anything she was worried about. All the flickers of disappointment when she would reply negatively, all the sighs of acceptance when she wouldn't budge in her loyalty towards a man she barely even knew. Sakura had thought that he dismissed her mission report for her battle against Hidan and Kakuzu because he was worried for his ill wife, but it seemed it was because he knew all along.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, voice weak.

All she had ever wanted was to be a great shinobi who protected her village with all her might. What she had done… After the attack on Fugaku, it could brand her as a criminal. A traitor.

The scroll on the desk was long forgotten about as Minato continued to watch her closely, his eyes feeling as though they were burning holes into her head to try and get to her thoughts and memories.

"Were you involved in the attack on Fugaku-sama?"

It hurt that he even had to ask. "No, Hokage-sama."

"Are you the only one who knows who stole Fugaku-sama's eyes?"

Her throat ached. "No, Hokage-sama."

Fractionally, blue eyes narrowed. "Who else?"

Though she certainly didn't want to bring anyone else down with her if she _was_ going to get in trouble, Sakura knew there was no use in withholding information. Not anymore. It was stupid to try and keep such a huge thing from Minato in the first place.

"Uchiha Shisui." A pause. "Hokage-sama… What started your suspicions?"

It was bugging her. Unless he'd encountered both the Itachi of their own timeline and the Itachi of the other at the same time, it was simply ridiculous to immediately jump to that conclusion – especially when, in their world, it wasn't exactly uncommon to see several of the same person around the village. Since Naruto spammed the hell out of the shadow clone jutsu, it seemed everybody and their mothers were using it.

He leaned back in his seat, features fixed into a firm, stoic mask. Sakura wondered how Minato was feeling on the inside. "Not long after Naruto was born, he began having seizures and struggled to breathe by himself. We were warned that he wouldn't make it." Realisation dawned on her and she felt a cold sweat break out over her skin. "Only a select few knew of that fact and an even fewer number knew about Kushina's seal being weakened during childbirth." Temptation almost had her looking away, but Sakura forced herself to maintain eye contact. "Somehow, the Kyuubi broke free of the seal and was set loose on the village, however, the seal was already strengthening, so it would have been impossible for it to break free without the help of another."

The sharingan, or more specifically, the mangekyō sharingan, was more than capable of releasing the Kyuubi from its seal. It was with a single jutsu that the other Itachi had released it, using his powerful eyes to set the Kyuubi onto the village. In his memories, it was more or less the same as Obito's attack on the village. A great number of people died in both universes and at the reminder, a thought of the other Itachi's flashed through her mind.

* * *

_That was something that was unavoidable, much to his dismay. Whenever a change was made, there would be ripple effects. Oh, there had been so many that he'd had to take care of, since he'd changed so much. There was no way of knowing what would happen should he change history, or how it would affect the balance of the universe. Either way, Uzumaki Naruto _ _had_ _ to become the host of the Kyuubi._

* * *

_If one life was saved, another must be taken to balance it out._

To keep not only Naruto, but also Kushina alive, he had sacrificed villagers.

Oh, she felt sick.

How could he…?

Again, blue eyes narrowed and Minato rested his elbows onto the table. "There was a thought in my head and while at the time I was grateful for the idea, now that I think back on it, I know that it was not my own. That thought was to split the Kyuubi's chakra in half so that I would be able to keep both Naruto and Kushina alive. To make matters more suspicious, Kushina has no recollection of the events at all. She claims to have blacked out."

"You don't believe she did?" Sakura asked weakly, already knowing there was no use in trying to keep the truth from being found out, not when Minato already knew it. She didn't have the strength to argue anymore.

"I believe that the thing that released the Kyuubi was the same thing that erased her memories of the incident." There was a moment of pause. "The Mangekyō." Sighing, he admitted, "Once I was thinking clearly, I wondered if it was possible for Fugaku-sama to have done such a thing, though did not voice my suspicions. The Uchiha Clan was already being ostracised and I refused to add more fuel to the fire."

For that, Sakura was grateful, but she knew that the other Itachi would have extinguished that fire no matter how big it got. "Which is why Sasuke-kun accused you of attacking Fugaku-sama – because you were suspicious of him in the past."

Minato nodded once, expression grave. "Would you like me to continue listing off how I came to my conclusion, or are we on the same page now?"

She tried to smile. "It took me a whole week to get my head around multiverse theory no longer being a theory, yet you're sitting there like it's totally normal."

There was another sigh, though this one sounded like a huge weight had slipped off his shoulders. Had he been worried that he was wrong? Had there been an opportunity to brush off his accusations as nothing more than paranoia?

"Where is he now, Sakura-chan?"

A familiar, dull ache entered her heart. "Dead." Minato frowned at that and she couldn't help but wonder if she had lost his trust. Did he not believe her? It made the aching in her chest increase. "I can prove it to you – I can show you everything, since I was originally a genjutsu type," she reminded him. "So I'll show you my memories with a genjutsu." Yet another pause and awkwardly, she looked down at her feet. "You'll still be aware of your surroundings, meaning you'll know I won't pull a fast one on you."

Minato smiled at her. "I still trust you, Sakura-chan. You wouldn't be a part of my guard, otherwise."

She bit her bottom lip and nodded quickly, unable to voice her thanks but hoping they reached him somehow, anyway.

"Just to be clear." Looking up at him again, her eyebrows knitted together. "I dropped myself in it, right? By telling Naruto about the events surrounding his birth?"

"I'm afraid so. It is not common knowledge. Only our closest friends and the Sandaime knew about it."

Which was why Kakashi had called her out on it, saying only certain people knew of it.

Damn it.

Deciding there had been enough talking, Sakura sighed and made several hand seals, summoning her chakra and once the genjutsu was cast, she noticed how Minato's features showed a faraway expression as he delved into her memories. Not hiding anything, she showed her Hokage everything. From the very first meeting when she was twelve years old, to every single meeting after that. She showed him how she found out about the other Itachi and who he really was, and faintly, Sakura smirked at the birthmark, realising how crazy it now seemed to have relied so heavily on that as her solid piece of evidence.

All conversations she'd shared with the other Itachi, every single moment including her failed attempt of seducing him to figure out what her other self's relationship had been with him, was shared with Minato. No emotion showed on his features and she wasn't sure whether that was because of his many years as a shinobi and their Hokage, or because of her genjutsu. Either way, he was living her memories as though they were his own, experiencing everything she felt – the confusion and sadness, the disbelief and horror. Even the memories that were shared with her during their conversation together was given to him, though not the ones Itachi had given to her before he died.

And then finally came the battle against Hidan and Kakuzu and finally, an emotion came from her Hokage: awe. As she had been, he was in awe of the other Itachi's power, of the pure strength and deadliness of his eyes.

"So that is how it happened," he murmured when the genjutsu ended.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you."

He sighed tiredly and rubbed his aching temple. "Sakura-chan, while I wish you'd told me what was happening, I _do_ understand why you kept it to yourself – had to keep it to yourself. The more that know, the more that time is messed with." Suddenly, he looked much older than he was supposed to. "I have to admit: the strange things that have happened in regards to… It makes sense now. Danzo-sama's assassination. Obito's return and miraculous healing even after being crushed. Naruto's birth. How Team Seven survived despite all being unconscious in the middle of the forest."

Yeah, she supposed that would have appeared as odd, wouldn't it? Three unconscious twelve year olds and a group of dead bodies didn't make much sense. Had the other Itachi watched over them until somebody from Konoha arrived? Sakura had never really given it much thought before and she had no idea why.

"I don't know why I never clicked onto it being Itachi," she murmured thoughtfully.

He smiled at that. "You didn't know Itachi-kun when you were twelve, Sakura-chan. He was merely a name to you, despite being Sasuke-kun's older brother. Had he spoken to the entire team and not just you, Sasuke-kun would have known in an instant who it was. I believe that is why he waited so long to intervene."

Perhaps. A small, painful smile pulled at her lips.

"We have a lot to be grateful for," Minato continued quietly. "There is no telling how different our lives would be without his interference."

But she did know. Sakura knew exactly what their lives would be like. Most of them would be dead while others had deserted the village.

"Hokage-sama," she began hesitantly. "About what he showed me…"

There was a sudden seriousness to him, a darkness in his eyes. It was rare for Minato to show his anger, as he was somebody who held everything in for the sake of others. "I know," he replied with a nod. "To think Danzo-sama would attempt to kill Uchiha Shisui is… Had I not seen it myself, I would say it is unbelievable, as is the Sandaime's involvement in the massacre."

Sakura nodded, swallowing. Just recalling the horrendous and unforgivable way they'd played Itachi had her feeling sick to her stomach. "That universe is pretty messed up, isn't it?"

Minato sighed, agreeing. "It is. Using Shisui-san's sharingan was a last resort and Danzo-sama knew that, which is more than likely why he targeted him and stole his eye. He had always disliked the Uchiha Clan."

Yes, she knew that already. Having so much time to herself nowadays meant there was nothing to do but think and go over all the other Itachi had told and shared with her, even if she didn't want to. His memories were agonising and so Sakura did her best not to look at them, but that wasn't the only reason why she avoided them. Some of them were also _this_ Itachi's memories, too. While they wouldn't be exactly the same, the other Itachi told her he avoided messing with the timeline as much as possible.

"I can't believe I came here to complain and ended up…" Shaking her head in disbelief, Sakura looked back to her Hokage. "Thank you for being so blunt, Hokage-sama. I didn't realise how much I needed to share that with someone."

His blue eyes warmed. "I could tell for a while that something was bothering you, Sakura-chan."

Again, all the questioning gazes and reluctant acceptances rushed to her mind and she came to the realisation that it had never really been a secret. Not from Minato, anyway. All along, somehow, he'd known the truth, though had been waiting for her to admit to it first.

"Weren't you worried about the village?" she asked, frowning. "He could've turned out to be someone who wanted to destroy Konoha. You saw his memories for yourself, Hokage-sama. Itachi had more than enough reason to despise our village."

"There is a reason why you're a part of my guard, Sakura-chan," he replied simply, shrugging lightly. "You are someone I trust and I know that you always have Konoha's best interests in your heart. If you felt you couldn't share your situation with me, then I trusted you enough to know that you would never let it jeopardise the safety of Konoha and its villagers."

He truly did trust her, didn't he?

There was no stopping her happy grin.

"There you go." He smiled right back at her. "You look your age again, instead of an old veteran."

That was because it felt like a massive burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

* * *

"Sakura-chan."

The arm that fell over her shoulders didn't startle her like it used to, as she'd sensed Naruto's unmistakable chakra moments before. While she wasn't the best at sensing chakra, it was impossible to miss Naruto's.

At the other side, Sasuke fell into step with her, meeting her eye and then sighing with annoyance when she shook her head minutely, telling him without words that the confession hadn't gone well.

"We're meeting Yahiko and the other two at Ichiraku's. Are you coming?"

Getting to know the three would be a wise move, as would befriending them. It would give her an excuse to hang around just in case somebody from another village tried anything. That way, it wouldn't be them getting into trouble, it would be her and she had the excuse of defending her village from an outsider who attacked her.

"Sure." She smiled at his grin. "What have you both been doing?"

As always, their outfits were muddy and torn in places, the tell-tale signs of battle or sparring. Stupid question really, but it kept the conversation going and Naruto's explanation lasted all the way to Ichiraku's. Like he usually did, he got lost in the telling of his story, throwing in a few exaggerations here and there and also making sure to throw shade at Sasuke, who refused to rise to the bait.

They were at Ichiraku's before Konan, Yahiko and Nagato, and decided to go in first. Just as she was about to follow Naruto in, however, Sasuke caught her wrist and when she met his eyes, she saw his eyebrows knitting together.

"What happened?"

"I'd rather not go into it," she answered tiredly, sighing. "It just didn't go well."

"Sakura-"

"Can we please leave it at that, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura in an almost beg. "I really don't want to talk about it."

It was obvious he didn't want to, that he wanted to know what had happened that upset her so much, but she was grateful that he accepted her words with a sigh, releasing his hold on her wrist. They entered the ramen stand together, taking their seats to the right of Naruto, leaving three spare on his other side. If the other three didn't hurry, though, those seats would quickly be filled by other people.

"It's been a while since you visited more than once a week, Sakura-chan," Ayame said with a teasing smile. "Are you well?"

"Very, thank you. Yourself?"

Having conversations with others was more difficult than it used to be, she noticed and it startled her. Was that because of ANBU? It was no secret that she used to be something of a social butterfly a couple years back, always enjoying striking up conversation with others and more often than not rambling on. Now… It was hard to say more than a few simple sentences to people who didn't truly know her, like she couldn't open up to them. Surely that wasn't the case? Was that why Kakashi was so laid-back and witty? Was it why Itachi chose to remain silent sometimes? Sakura had thought it was because they were geniuses, therefore, unable to communicate with people to a certain level (there were many studies that had been conducted and it was actually pretty interesting to read them in her spare time). What if that wasn't the case? What if the screwed up shit they'd seen made them that way? What if it was making her that way?

"Earth to Sakura-chan!"

Wide green eyes snapped to Naruto's. She hadn't meant to zone out or get lost in her thoughts. "What is it?"

"You're becoming too much like Kakashi-sensei." He pouted. "Get out of your head already and smile."

Right. Sakura did her best to smile at the blond and he seemed to buy it, much to her internal relief and this time, she made more of an effort to join in with the conversation, making sure not to zone out again. It was plain rude, really and she didn't want her boys to think that she thought she was better than them.

It wasn't until ten minutes later and Naruto's third bowl of ramen that the others joined them, apologising for their lateness. Apparently they were busy helping an old lady home with her shopping when they were stopped by an Uchiha who stated, plain and simple, that that was _his_ role. They didn't need to go into more detail as Sakura knew already who that was.

Only Uchiha would get so possessive over something as mundane as helping an old woman home.

They each dug into their ramen happily enough, with Yahiko and Naruto doing most of the talking. Every now and then, Nagato would say something and Konan would add a comment whenever necessary, though it seemed Yahiko was the most talkative one out of the three.

Turning her head to the right, she regarded Sasuke as he slowly ate his food. As she had been only ten minutes ago, he appeared deep in thought. Was he worrying about what she told him? Was he going to get angry with his brother again?

In all honesty… She didn't even know what to think of her relationship with Itachi anymore. Every time she got that little bit closer to his heart, his ice cold walls came springing up and would throw her several steps back. At first, it had bothered her, but not to the extent it did now. At first, Sakura had thought that she could melt those ice cold walls. What she hadn't been prepared for was how much it hurt trying to do that. It was like every time she attempted to melt those walls, she got burned by her own flame.

Leaning closer to the brooding Uchiha, she murmured quietly and to him only, "I was thinking of asking Hokage-sama for a mission." Dark eyes met hers. "A mission for Team Seven."

"Won't your other team need you?"

It hadn't been said nastily and she didn't take it that way. Sasuke seemed genuinely curious. "I could do with a break," Sakura said with a sigh. "Besides, I can probably get us something higher than b-ranked. You said you were bored, didn't you?"

Interest sparked in his eyes and Sasuke nodded once, asking, "When do you think we'll go?"

"I'd have to ask Hokage-sama first and check that I'm not needed for anything else." Given their earlier conversation, she had a feeling Minato wouldn't hold her back and would instead allow her the time away with her boys. "It could be a day – two at most."

Again, he nodded once.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, you know some good fields, don't you?"

What a random question. Frowning, she looked back over to Naruto. "Fields?"

"With flowers," Konan stated. "There aren't many in Ame due to the rain and I decided that while I'm here, I'd like to learn more about them."

It surprised her. In the other Itachi's memories, Konan was a badass who wasn't into feminine things such as flowers and the such, but then again, this version of Konan hadn't lost her love. She still had Yahiko in this timeline and so wasn't lost in grief.

"I know a few," she replied. "The flowers near the cenotaph are especially pretty, even with all the training that goes on around there."

It was like an unspoken rule to not disturb the cenotaph and the flowers. When they were younger, back when Team Seven was first formed, Sakura had asked Kakashi why they placed such an important memorial in the middle of a training field. What would happen if somebody broke it during training? The answer was simple: nobody used that particular training ground for serious training. It was usually only used by genin teams for things such as their bell test, so that the sensei could teach them about what it meant to be a shinobi with honour, or for them to say a few words about the dead and how they were respected for giving their lives for the village. However, as it had become a special place for Team Seven, they continued to train there. They just had to be mindful with their more destructive jutsu.

"I can take you there in the morning, if you want," Sakura offered.

Konan smiled at that and it only just occurred to her how beautiful the woman actually was. "I would like that. Thank you."

"Make sure you bring me flowers, Konan," Yahiko teased with a grin.

Were they together in this timeline? Sakura found herself hoping that they were, and that they were incredibly happy together. Sadly, in the other Itachi's timeline, Yahiko had been taken from them and it left Konan feeling hollow. She detached herself from everything and kept everyone at arms-length – everyone except for Nagato, of course. Their lives had been flipped upside down at the death of their best friend and it was that day that Akatsuki was changed, manipulated by a man who claimed to be Madara, but was actually Obito.

That other timeline gave her a headache.

"It's a plan, then!"

Wait, what was a plan? Sakura looked to Sasuke, confused and he merely shook his head, holding back a sigh. From the faint ticking of his eyebrow, she knew he was feeling annoyed.

"The first round is on you guys," Naruto declared.

Round? "You won't get served anywhere in Konoha, Naruto," she scolded lightly. "You're underage and Hokage-sama's son."

"Actually," he said smartly with a roll of his eyes, "there's a small place that's so desperate for customers that they don't care. It's overpriced as hell, but they serve me."

Unbelievable!

"Are you coming, then?"

"Only if Sasuke-kun is, too."

If she was going to suffer, then so was he. Like hell she was going to get stuck with a wasted Naruto, who could become lecherous at any moment.

And so, only an hour later, Sakura was sitting in a crummy bar that had certainly seen better days. The place reeked of cigarettes and spilled alcohol and the tables were all sticky with who knows what. It most definitely wasn't how she planned to spend her Friday night, though supposed she couldn't complain, because at least she was able to spend time with her friends, whereas others weren't so lucky.

Other than themselves and the bartender, the place was empty and Sakura could understand why they served teenagers who were underage. Like Naruto had warned: the prices were extortionate and a total rip off, but they had to keep the bar going somehow.

Naruto left them momentarily to speak with the bartender and not long after he returned, music began playing. She had a feeling it would usually be quiet, old people music most days, but because it was Naruto who asked, it was recent music that could be danced to.

Much to her own surprise, after a few drinks, she found herself swaying in her seat in time with the music, enjoying the buzz that had her feeling much lighter than usual. It was easy to understand why Tsunade spent the better part of her day drunk, as it certainly made her forget about the bad things going on in her life. That was… until she and Sasuke left the bar and he walked her home and she found herself sharing absolutely everything with him. Tears were filling her eyes as she fell back against the wall, hands coming to her face to hide them. Another fact that was confirmed: alcohol was unquestionably a depressant. For a while it made you feel better, but then you came crashing down.

Sighing, Sasuke leaned back against the wall, eyes staring ahead. They were both flushed from the alcohol, both feeling the effects and neither of them were really complaining, though had stopped before they got totally wasted. Naruto, of course, was still in the bar with Yahiko, Konan and Nagato, declaring that he could drink them all under the table.

They trusted he was in safe hands and even if he weren't, Sakura could sense ANBU hovering around the bar, keeping an eye on him. Apparently Minato had decided to listen to her and was making sure that somebody was watching Naruto at all times just in case the trio _did_ turn on them. It was all precautionary and there was probably another squad watching over Kushina, too.

"He's an ass," he said. "Itachi used to be so open when we were kids, but something changed him somewhere down the line and he's never been the same." Shrugging, he added, "It was probably the deaths of his teammates. I remember him crying about it once, but after that, he was closed off."

It didn't ease the ache in her heart. "How do I get through to him?" she whined. "Everything I do just makes him push me further away."

Sasuke scoffed at that and shook his head. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself."

So it wasn't only her who was fighting for his heart? It saddened her greatly. Even Sasuke, the brother Itachi loved dearly and would give up absolutely everything to protect, was unable to get through to him. What chance did she have? Was there any point in even trying? How could somebody live in such solitude?

In the other universe, Sasuke was an s-classed criminal who had deserted his village and teamed up with Orochimaru, the man who was the reason behind so much pain and suffering. It made her wonder whether or not he'd repeat the actions if given the chance. Should he be offered greater power like in the other timeline, would he accept it? Or was Sasuke satisfied with his life?

"Are you going to give up?"

The question startled her to say the least and no matter how much she wanted to meet his eyes, to see the expression in them, Sasuke continued to stare ahead of them at the small sweet shop.

"On Itachi?" He nodded once. "I… With him, all I ever seem to get is hurt."

He was quiet, appearing thoughtful and it made her frown deepen. If he offered another plan, then she would have to refuse. The last one had ended badly and Sakura wasn't so sure that she could take any more heartbreak.

"He rejected me," Sakura mumbled and shrugged helplessly. "There's not much else I can do."

It was with a sigh that Sasuke pushed away from the wall, walking away without another word and it left her torn. Had she offended him? Did she go after him? Did he need space? Was he going to rip Itachi a new one? With all her heart, she hoped he wouldn't. It would only make the relationship between the brothers more strained and it just wasn't worth it.

* * *

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere. Splattered up the walls, soaking the ground, staining his uniform and hands. It was the blood of his clansmen, the blood of his friends, the blood of his parents._

_And now that it was over, now that he was alone, he couldn't stop himself from falling to his knees, from emptying the contents of his stomach and crying silent tears._

Please forgive me,_ he begged of his loved ones, of Sasuke._

* * *

Sakura wiped harshly at her eyes as she got out of bed, only pausing to make it. Why were his memories coming through even after she worked so hard to lock them away? She had told Minato about him. Shouldn't that have helped her somewhat?

The shower didn't help to relax her and her stomach was still in knots from her dream, so she didn't dare to try and eat anything for fear of bringing it straight back up.

In that dream… She'd been forced to watch through his eyes as he massacred the entire Uchiha Clan. She'd been forced to feel his anguish as he ended life after life, as he went onto his parents and struggled to go through with his order, his hands shaking and tears streaming down his cheeks. Her own tears were threatening to start again, but Sakura responded to the emotion by grabbing her pouch and thigh holster, leaving through the window to go to Team Seven's training grounds.

As expected, since it was only around five in the morning, there was nobody there and it allowed her to work through her morning stretches, relishing in the silence and the privacy to get her thoughts together. How long did she have before Konan turned up?

It was only an hour, much to her surprise. Just as Sakura was finishing up her target practice, the blue haired woman entered the field, amber eyes taking in the scenery with a soft smile.

While she collected her shuriken and kunai, she watched Konan. The woman was tall – enviably tall, in fact – and it seemed mostly leg, too, though it was hard to tell since she was dressed for the chilly morning weather. A plain cloak showed her purple stockings and heels, as it reached just below her knees. Something that really interested her, however, was the lack of weapon pouches and thigh holster. Was she trying to prove their innocence by leaving herself defenceless?

No… Itachi's memories were warning her that Konan was most definitely not defenceless. Even if she didn't have a weapon in her hand, she had a rather interesting jutsu up her sleeve.

Green eyes drifted to the light blue flower made entirely of paper. It rested on the top of her head, on the side of her bun.

"Good morning," said Konan, lips pulling in a slight smile.

"Morning," she replied, replacing her weapons into her pouch. "I wasn't expecting you to come out here so early."

"Neither was I." Once more, her eyes languidly swept around the training grounds, something in them warming. "I'm glad I did, however."

Yes, it was beautiful, wasn't it? Smiling, Sakura gestured for Konan to follow as she made her way to a specific tree that was only several feet away from the cenotaph, the pair of them kneeling.

"These are my favourites," she told her. "They're Cosmos."

"They're beautiful," came her murmured reply.

Tenderly, Konan reached out, her fingertips grazing the Cosmos before she held her other hand out, palm facing the sky and Sakura could only watch in surprise as she recreated the flower – a whole bunch of them in a paper bouquet. They were handed to her with a smile.

"Your eyes tell me these flowers mean a lot to you," she stated quietly. "My jutsu will live longer than I, so they will never wilt." There was a short pause as she sighed. "Forgive us for causing so much trouble, Sakura-chan," Konan spoke softly. "We never would have imagined that someone would use our organisation's name for their evil intentions."

She definitely preferred this warmer version of Konan than the one in the other Itachi's memories. "Thank you."

But just as she went to accept them, just as they touched her fingertips, a strong gust of wind slammed into them both, knocking them sideways and cutting into them without remorse. The bouquet of Cosmos was lost somewhere amongst the assault, no doubt torn to shreds and it sparked her anger.

"You…!"

When the wind died down and they were able to struggle back to their feet, Sakura swallowed down the pain she felt at the sight of an angered Temari standing at the other end of the field, teal eyes a fraction wider with her rage, her chest heaving as she attempted to catch her breath.

And then Kankuro was breaking through the trees and falling into place beside her, not saying a single word as he stared them both down coldly.

She glanced at Konan and was grateful that the woman was remaining silent, as she wasn't from either of their villages and this was now a spat between Konoha and Suna.

"You have no reason to be here, Temari, Kankuro," Sakura said coolly, eyes narrowing. "State-"

She didn't even have the chance to continue, because Temari's eyes narrowed dangerously and she shot forward, heading straight for the woman standing close to her.

And so Sakura crouched in front of Konan, hiding the woman's body with her own (as best as she could) and didn't falter for a second as Temari skidded to halt, face mere inches from her own.

"Get out of the way, Sakura!"

At the clenching of her fist, the blonde put more distance between them, all the while Sakura continued to stare her down, eyes fierce and determined no matter how sad it made her to go up against her own friend.

"They're Akatsuki," Kankuro snapped, his voice rough.

What had she told Minato? When she next saw him – if she ever lived to see the light of day, that was – she was going to stare him straight in the eyes and say _I told you so._

Until then…

"If you want them, come and take them."

Going up against Temari and Kankuro, even if they were missing their third musketeer, was not something Sakura wanted to do, especially not when she'd had so little sleep (meaning hardly any time to allow her body to rest and recuperate). They were both long ranged fighters, whereas she was mainly short ranged. It meant they would have the advantage, as they would be used to creating distance and openings.

Shit.

"Konan-san, go and alert Hokage-sama," she ordered. "Or at least my team."

Sakura would have preferred her ANBU squad, but Team Seven would do. At least they knew Temari and Kankuro's fighting styles, although her ANBU squad was a mixture of short, medium and long ranged fighters, hence the reason why she would prefer to have them fight with her. Like herself, Sasuke and Naruto were mainly close ranged, but then again, Sasuke was capable of fighting long ranged, too.

The once peaceful training grounds had been utterly ruined by Temari's fan, with trees uprooted and the grass absolutely demolished by tracks that looked as though somebody had been pushing a massive boulder across the field.

It pissed her off.

"I'll hold them off," she said when Konan hesitated to leave her alone.

Temari darted forward at her words, using a fallen tree as leverage to leap into the air and in one swift movement, her fan swung forward, destroying the ground further.

"Don't underestimate me!"

"Konan-san, go!"

She left just in time. The strong gust of wind slammed her backwards, knocking her over and making her twist and tumble, tearing at her clothing and once it was over, realising that it was more of a hindrance than anything, she removed her haori, tossing it aside. It felt like all attention was on her ANBU tattoo, but in her mind, that was okay. They needed to know who they were screwing with and the gigantic mistake they were making.

"Know that I won't hold back just because we're friends," she stated coldly. "I'm a loyal Konoha-nin and you don't have a permit to be in my village."

Kankuro looked uncertain, glancing at his sister at the new information, but she remained deadly serious, teal eyes just as cold as Sakura's.

"They tried to capture my brother, Sakura," came Temari's response. "I'll kill whoever-"

"Kill?" Sakura repeated. "It'll take more than that fan to kill me and I can assure you: you won't get any of them while I'm still around."

No matter what, Konoha came first. Even if it killed her on the inside to be going up against someone who she just recently became friends with, it had to be done. Making sure those three didn't get involved in battle was important. They had to prove their innocence to the nations and they wouldn't do that by entering battles to the death, especially not with the Kazekage's children. It left her fighting two insanely strong shinobi, sure, but she would have to deal with it.

Suna-nin showed no weaknesses, making it difficult for her to find an opening to attack. The best Sakura could do was dodge their attacks, leaping out of the way of that fan's destructive strength, using clones while she was in the air and unable to avoid the follow up attack and when Kankuro used his puppets, she recalled her battle with Sasori, who was definitely the more experienced of the pair.

But all her sleepless nights weren't doing her any good and she couldn't run forever. That fact was proven correct when the wind managed to clip her, knocking her backwards.

Instead of falling, however, arms wrapped around her and in a second, they were out of the way.

All she was capable of doing was staring up at him in stunned disbelief.

"Shikamaru…"

Hard brown eyes glanced down at her, softening just a little. "Brings back memories, huh?"

The first chūnin exams, when he, Ino and Choji had come to her rescue. The memory was bittersweet and they didn't have long to go back to it, because suddenly four others were darting into the field, already prepared for an attack as she and Shikamaru landed and he placed her down onto her feet.

"Oi," Kiba snarled, claws digging into the ground and on his back, Akamaru transformed into a clone of Kiba. "Who said you could knock around one of ours, huh?"

Hinata narrowed her eyes and strengthened her stance, palms flat and almost humming with chakra. "State your business, Suna-nin. Unless you have an entry permit-"

"You should stop while you still have the chance," stated Shino. "There is no need for this battle."

But Temari merely narrowed her eyes and opened her fan to three moons, swinging it behind her and as she did, the air shifted, wind becoming stronger and threatening to knock them all to the ground. By her side, Kankuro was surrounded by his puppets. "Don't tell me what to do, bastard."

Why wasn't she listening to them? Couldn't she see what she was doing? It was stupid! It could start a war between their villages.

"Don't be an idiot, Temari," Shikamaru warned, thinking along the same lines.

"They tried to kill my brother," she yelled right back at him. "They tried to capture Naruto! Or was that part of the plan, huh? Was Konoha in on it?"

"How long do you think it'll be before others sense all this?" he demanded. "Before they come and defend our village? It's two against hundreds. They'll kill you."

"Is that a threat?" Kankuro snapped and his fingers twitched, puppets standing and waiting in front of himself and Temari. "You're housing criminals!"

No, they weren't! And even though Team Eight didn't know the entire story, they continued to stand by her and Shikamaru (she had no doubt that he already knew the situation).

"You have entered our village without permission," Hinata shot back bravely. Her Byakugan activated, veins showing around her pale eyes. "At the moment, the only threat here is you."

Before Shikamaru could try and play mediator again, Temari was swinging her fan around again and Team Eight were dashing forward, combining their strengths to get closer to her. It seemed futile, however, because it was like she was predicting each of their movements and already having her attacks set in motion.

"Temari is a strategist," Shikamaru told her. "A damned good one. Team Eight won't be able to hold her back for long and there's no telling how long it will take for back up to arrive."

Sakura narrowed her eyes on Kankuro, fists clenching. "Help them. I'll take care of Kankuro."

"Are you sure?" His hard brown eyes searched her features even though she wasn't looking at him. "Can you handle him?"

She scoffed. "Don't underestimate me."

Everything seemed to be happening so suddenly as of late. The abrupt change of conversation with Minato, where she'd put her foot in it massively. Itachi's yo-yo mood swings. Yahiko, Konan and Nagato turning up in the village out of seemingly nowhere and now finally, the attack. One second she and Konan were observing and admiring the flowers and now, Sakura found herself fighting against two people she'd recently become friends with.

Much to her gratefulness, Shikamaru didn't question her or doubt her abilities and instead shot off to try and get through to Temari.

It seemed the blonde was the leader of the two, which could work to her advantage if she managed to get through to Kankuro. Seriously, it was bordering on suicidal of them to come alone – completely reckless and it had her feeling uneasy. Were others coming? Was Gaara waiting in the shadows for a moment of weakness? Going up against Kankuro was one thing, but to go against Gaara, who was now in full control on the Ichibi, was idiotic.

Sakura reached into her pouch, pulling out her gloves and slipping them on, all the while watching Kankuro as he kept his narrowed eyes on her. When his hands spread out in front of himself, the puppets shifted, coming to stand defensively in front of him and she knew it would be difficult getting close to him. Immobilising (or destroying) the puppets was the first thing she had to do.

Though, saying that, one of them had a special technique he'd been working on recently, one he wouldn't specify and it had her on edge, wary of rushing into battle. Temari may be the strategist of the pair, but Kankuro had brains, too, even if it didn't always seem that way. He was just as dangerous, if not more so.

Another note to herself: assume all weapons were laced with poison.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Temari holding her own against Team Eight and Shikamaru, but the latter was refusing to use brute force against her and was clearly unable to use his shadow jutsu due to the onslaught of Kiba's attacks. If he used it in that situation, it was probable that not only Temari, but also Shikamaru himself, would receive a huge amount of damage. Knowing that he was way smarter than she was, however, Sakura left that battle to him, instead focusing entirely on Kankuro once again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, taking a hesitant step to the side. Like she'd assumed: there were no openings. Kankuro had fixed his weakness of leaving an opening between himself and his puppets, one that had made him vulnerable to attacks. "Shikamaru's right, you know. It'll be hundreds against the two of you and they won't hold back like we are."

"Is that what they teach you in ANBU?" he retorted and, as always, Sakura admired his accent. It was strange, yet alluring. Different.

A sudden flash of a memory that was not her own. A memory of blood splattered walls and piles upon piles of dead clansmen.

"They teach us to protect the village no matter the cost."

Seeing an opening as he stepped to the side to adjust to her new standing, Sakura shot forward, drawing back her fist and narrowing her eyes on the puppet that suddenly spun its head around to face her, its mouth opening and-

_Shit!_

She came to an abrupt halt, unable to do anything other than that.

The point of the blade belonging to the puppet stopped mere millimetres from her eye and Sakura swallowed hard.

Why…?

Hesitantly, green eyes slid to the puppeteer. He looked just as confused as herself and she quickly glanced at his shadow, but it was no different than usual. On top of that, Shikamaru was still trying to get through to Temari, who was too busy tearing into Team Eight like it was nothing.

Kankuro gritted his teeth and the puppet fell back uselessly.

His eyes met hers.

Disappointment. Indecision. Disbelief. They were the three main emotions she could read in his expression and it stunned her beyond belief. Was Kankuro having second thoughts? Did he understand how crazy they were being and how reckless their actions were? Did she have the chance to make him change his mind and hopefully change Temari's, too?

"You don't have to do this," she tried to reason with him. "They're not who you think they are."

His fists clenched. "They tried to capture Gaara. They would have killed him taking that thing from him. You can't tell me that you wouldn't be feeling the same way if it'd been Naruto."

"And where is Gaara-kun?" Sakura asked calmly, despite the fact her heart was beating a mile a minute. "Does he agree with you?"

An unexpected gust of wind had her crying out, unable to fight against it as it tore at her skin and clothes, as it flung her across the field and crashed her into the ground like she was nothing but a ragdoll. That fan… It was certainly a nuisance. On shaking limbs, Sakura stood, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Sakura-san," Hinata called, checking if she was okay.

"Just focus on Temari!"

What a cowardly move, she thought bitterly, glancing at the blood on the back of her hand. Attacking just as she was getting through to Kankuro!

Green eyes met black.

Underestimating Kankuro was a major no-no. There was a reason why he made jōnin at such a young age and it only had partly something to do with the fact he went through gruelling training due to being the Kazekage's son. He was smart, too. More smart than he let on.

But there wasn't time to think of a strategy.

Suddenly, a huge black dog dashed into the clearing, its teeth bared as vicious snarls and growls erupted from within its chest. Right on its heels were four Uchiha, with Izumi taking the lead and her hands flying through seals.

"_Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu!_

The huge flame erupted in the style of a dragon, heading straight towards Temari and apparently it worked the way Izumi had planned, because she nodded once to her clansmen the second Team Eight and Shikamaru were separated from the blonde.

In an instant, they fell back, allowing Izumi to stand at the front of them all. In some ways, she was their superior, even though it made Sakura feel sick to her stomach to admit such a thing. Surely Hinata was Izumi's superior, though? She may no longer be the heir of her clan (Hanabi had proven to be stronger, therefore a better fit for the role), but she was still a Hyuuga from the main family – one of Hiashi's daughters, no less. Izumi was from an ordinary family, if Itachi's memories were correct.

She scolded herself for such petty thoughts.

Temari came to stand by Kankuro, her fan open and ready to unleash hell on them once more. Honestly, Sakura wasn't so sure she could take another of those attacks without using Sōzō Saisei – her body was at its limit.

"I will only say this once," Izumi stated tonelessly, voice echoing clearly throughout the battered field. "Leave."

The blonde snarled in return, "Not without their heads. We don't take kindly to our brother being attacked-"

"And I don't take kindly to my time being wasted," came her cool retort. Folding her arms over her chest, she raised an eyebrow. "I believed something major was going on here when a woman demanded backup be sent. Had I known it was just you two kids, I would have sent my dog and be done with it."

Oh, shit.

Izumi seriously knew how to drag her opponents through the mud, didn't she? Sakura stared between the three of them, eyes wide in shock. Perhaps she should have moved further back while she had the chance. Standing beside Izumi when she was so very obviously in a foul mood was not fun.

To give Temari credit: she didn't lose her shit like Sakura knew she would have. Instead, she gritted her teeth and tsked, hold on the fan tightening.

"That dog, huh?"

Dark eyes narrowed, whereas her own widened. Surely she wouldn't? Surely Temari wouldn't target an animal-

It was too late.

"_Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"_

Neither of them were able to react in time to the swift attack on the ninken, who was thrown into the air and assaulted by many invisible blades. They could hear the devastating winds crashing down on it and throwing it around, could hear it crying out in agony and behind her, Sakura heard Akamaru whining loudly, could hear Kiba growling viciously that she was a heartless bitch.

It appeared Izumi was in a state of shock – not that it really surprised her – and when her precious ninken fell to the ground in front of her, whimpering and covered in deep cuts, her sharingan activated, eyes narrowing dangerously and she stood over him protectively, one hand coming to rest on his side to let him know that she was there for him.

"I'm not against beating little kids," Izumi spat as fire erupted around her, "especially brats who cause trouble in my village!"

What the hell kind of jutsu was _that?_

"Weakling Haruno, get out the way."

Two of the Uchiha accompanying Izumi grabbed her, dragging her out of the line of fire.

"You worthless mutts," she muttered darkly to the two Suna-nin. "I'll kill you both for harming my ninken!"

What jutsu was that? Her eyes met Shikamaru's, startled and features pale and she found that he looked no different, the pair of them genuinely and deeply fearing for Temari's life. Yes, it was cruel what she'd done to Izumi's ninken, but the blonde was known for being… feisty, if that was the right word to use. It was a part of her personality. Being talked down to, being told a dog could finish her off, would have riled Temari up and to prove her worth, she'd lashed out on the innocent animal.

And…

She could see now why Lee had interrupted their battle.

Izumi would have destroyed her in a matter of seconds. If her punch had missed her (which it wouldn't have, but that was beside the point), then Izumi would have finished her off in seconds. Lee had more than likely been trying to spare her feelings.

He had been saving her life.

"Her strength is…" Hinata gasped.

"You have heard of Itachi-sama and Shisui-san being the prodigies of our clan," one of the Uchiha men spoke and numbly, Sakura nodded her head. "Izumi-san isn't spoken of as much, as they both overshadow her, but she is just as skilled, if not more so. Only when she is deadly serious does Izumi-san activate her sharingan."

But just as they all prepared themselves for Izumi's attack, sand suddenly lashed around the clearing, slamming into every single one of them and sending them soaring through the air.

"Enough," Gaara muttered darkly, breathing hard like he'd been running nonstop for the entire journey to Konoha. "I warned you both that this is ridiculous, Temari, Kankuro."


	37. When Darkness Comes

**Chapter 37**

**When Darkness Comes**

* * *

"Getting into trouble again?"

For the sake of everyone else and not wanting to create an atmosphere, Sakura didn't react negatively to the rhetorical question. Instead, she smiled up at Itachi like nothing was wrong and went back to staring holes into Minato's doors.

Her clothes were tattered and torn in various places, drenched in her blood from the vicious winds Temari had summoned to attack them and because of this, under his gaze, she felt judged. Horribly judged.

What the hell even was that battle? It hadn't been serious – _she_ hadn't been serious and it could have cost her life or worse, it could have potentially caused a major threat to the village having vengeful Suna-nin running around wreaking havoc. Fighting against friends… It had never been possible for her.

"Izumi asked that I give you this," Itachi murmured, holding out the red haori and with a faintly shaking hand, she accepted it, bringing it close to her chest. "Are you okay?"

Why was he trying to talk to her now? After all that shit about how he was going to hurt her and break her heart or whatever… Why now?

"Fine," she replied curtly.

There was a sigh, one that was followed by Itachi glancing around them at the group (who all quickly averted their eyes so that they weren't caught staring, though were totally caught anyway), before saying to her, "After your meeting with Hokage-sama, come and find me, Sakura."

No, she wanted to say. Absolutely not. There wasn't a chance in hell that she was going anywhere with him, not when she knew he didn't feel the same way as she did. It would only hurt her further. What Sakura needed was time. What she needed was space to get her head straight and to lock away her heart until it stopped hurting, until she had well and truly moved on. It could take a while and it would possibly hurt in the process, but it was possible. It had to be. She needed it to be.

"Understood," she instead replied.

"Well that was painful," came Shikamaru's drawl once Itachi had walked away.

She grimaced and was incredibly grateful when the doors to Minato's office opened, because while that situation wasn't any better, it was certainly more endurable than her turbulent relationship with Itachi. Being a kunoichi had its difficulties, but overall was simple. Being a… love interest? Was that the word? Either way, it was in no way simple. It was agonising.

They each walked into the office, Sakura holding her breath at the look of great disappointment on Minato's features. To the side stood the three sand siblings and beside Minato stood Naruto, with his arms folded over his chest and his lips pursed, eyes narrowed a fraction. Gaara also looked majorly unimpressed and she couldn't decide who seemed colder in that moment.

Standing close to Hinata and away from Temari in that moment would probably be for the best, as the blonde still seemed pissed – even more so because of her brother's interference. Not long after Gaara separated them, Naruto had come bursting into the training fields, demanding to know just what in the hell was going on, because it was too early for their bullshit.

Again, she was grateful. Since his training, Naruto had become great friends with Gaara and they understood one another. Together, they were more than capable of stopping the fighting.

However, one thing she couldn't stop herself from doing when Minato's eyes met hers, was the return of her own unimpressed expression, one that silently screamed _I told you so_, because she had. She had told him that something such as the situation they were currently in, was going to happen. It merely happened a lot sooner than she'd anticipated.

Minato looked away and she huffed to herself.

Sakura 1 – Hokage 0.

"I have informed your Kazekage of what happened," Minato began. "Until his response, you will remain in the village and will be watched over by ANBU."

She felt Temari's eyes glance over to her, but Sakura refused to meet her gaze. Those teal eyes were still filled with anger, still lit with the fire of hell that threatened to burn them all alive, should she be given the chance. Placing both Temari and Kankuro under lockdown was a wise idea, even if they swore to not cause any more trouble. It would give others peace of mind.

"And what about the criminals?" Temari demanded. "Our father-"

Gaara cut her off, icy blue eyes narrowing a fraction and with them, she was certain the temperature dropped. "Our father was in the process of demanding an audience with the Hokage," he stated coolly. "There was no need for your dramatics. He had it under control."

"Under control?" she snapped in reply, falling out of line to glare viciously at him. "You call letting the bastards who tried to capture you-"

"Oi, have your domestic elsewhere," Naruto snarled. "You're wasting my dad's time by bitching about something you know nothing about!"

"Know nothing about?" came Kankuro's angered growl.

"Those _criminals_," Sakura couldn't help but snap, "rescued us all once before. That includes Gaara-kun. Why would Nagato-san kill someone working for him to save Gaara-kun?"

That silenced them.

Sitting forward and resting his elbows on his desk, Minato remained unimpressed, his blue eyes searching each of theirs in turn. "Had it not been for Gaara-kun, there could have been – no, there _would_ have been deadly consequences for attacking Konoha-nin in their own village." His eyes narrowed. "In response to the unavoidable end to your battle, the Kazekage would have demanded retribution."

Just when Temari opened her mouth, Shikamaru cut her off coldly, saying, "Don't, Temari. I told you back then and I'll tell you now: it was two against hundreds of shinobi. Even if you got by us, you wouldn't have stepped foot inside the village. You're lucky Uchiha-san was stopped – she would've killed you without hesitating."

Inwardly, Sakura frowned. She wondered how Izumi's ninken was. Should she have asked Itachi when he handed her the haori? She personally knew how it felt to fall victim to Temari's fan, as at that moment in time, it was taking everything to remain upright and not succumb to the injuries she'd sustained. Her entire body was aching and demanding relief and there was nothing Sakura wanted more than to heal herself. However, she wasn't going to give Temari the satisfaction of seeing that. It could wait until she was at home, if any of the injuries even needed healing. If they weren't life threatening, they could heal naturally.

_Shit_.

She needed to meet Itachi afterwards.

"Shikamaru-kun is right," Minato murmured. "It doesn't matter who you hold ties to in my village. If you posed a threat, my shinobi would defend Konoha without hesitating, just like you would for Suna." Breathing out a sigh, he then told them, "I will arrange a meeting with the Kazekage and do what I can to keep the altercation from reaching the public. We don't need the treaty becoming more unstable."

"And those… people?"

Sakura bit her lip to hold back her growl of annoyance.

"Those people are my friends and sibling disciples," Naruto said coldly. "If you have a problem with them, you can take it up with me. You're not getting anywhere near them."

Temari tsked and looked away with clear agitation.

Kankuro scowled.

"I stand by Naruto," Gaara added, not caring in the least when his siblings glared at him with utter frustration and disbelief. "I remember when they saved us all. We are indebted to them, Temari, Kankuro. At the very least, we should hear them out. Don't you agree?"

The blonde continued to glare at him for a few moments before she eventually gave up, nodding with a sigh.

"Hokage, please accept our sincerest apologies." There was as much emotion in his features and voice than there was in a rock, but they all knew that was just who Gaara was. It didn't make what he was saying any less true. "Know that our Kazekage will punish them appropriately."

He nodded once. "Until his response, please understand that I must keep them away from my villagers."

"I understand."

* * *

It was kind of sad watching ANBU taking Temari and Kankuro away and deep down, Sakura knew they wouldn't even be able to go to the bathroom without being watched, but again, it was their own fault. According to what Gaara told them, they'd acted without the consent of their Kazekage, which was a huge middle finger to their dad. The offence could even be punishable by death (in Suna's laws, at least), as they'd been well on their way to starting another war, but she hoped the Kazekage wouldn't go that far.

Rubbing her forehead, Sakura sighed and left the Hokage tower. Her head was aching something vicious and it certainly didn't help matters that she was exhausted and beaten up. Hopefully, Itachi wouldn't keep her too long, because all she wanted was to go back to bed.

Green eyes scanned the crowds of people as she mixed in with them, widening fractionally at a familiar face. Considering he was an Uchiha, perhaps he could tell her more about Izumi?

"Obito!"

He visibly tensed at her voice, and even more so when she suddenly linked her arm through his, clutching his elbow securely so he couldn't run away from her.

"Morning, Sakura-chan." Obito smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head. Vaguely, it amused her that he didn't think twice about her startling appearance. "It's been a while since I last saw you."

Instead of replying immediately, she raised an eyebrow, settling him with an unimpressed glower. However, Sakura wasn't there to discuss his rare hospital visits and the fact he was way behind on his physical exams – yes, plural. How he got away with it when engaged to a medic, she'd never know.

"I have a question about your clan's jutsu."

The nervousness made way for uncertainty and he frowned down at her. "I'm already labelled a traitor for giving Kakashi my Sharingan. I'd rather not give them any more excuses to hate me-"

"I just need to know if you've heard of a specific fire style jutsu, since you're an Uchiha I feel most comfortable with." He was still frowning despite her attempt to butter him up, but giving the fact he wasn't outright rejecting her, she continued with, "Is there a jutsu that pretty much covers the user in fire?"

Compared to Kakashi, Obito was an open book for everyone and not just his precious people. It was quite amusing when comparing the pair of them, really. "I know who you're on about." Rolling his eye, he continued walking, seemingly escorting her. "Izumi-san is a talented girl, but that jutsu is useless. It's all for show to make her opponent back down."

An intimidation tactic, huh? "But isn't that just a waste of chakra?"

"Not when it works a great deal of the time." Glancing down at her, he raised an eyebrow. "Tell me: where you threatened by the jutsu?"

Well, yes, in all honesty. If Izumi was capable of summoning that much fire without being burned, what else was she capable of? It looked like she was a demon who was literally on fire. How was that even possible?

"Believe it or not, there are many Uchiha who wish for peace, such as Itachi-sama and Shisui. Izumi-san happens to be one of those people. Using that jutsu often gets her out of fighting unnecessarily."

Izumi wished for peace? Ha! And Naruto was growing tired of ramen. It ludicrous to even think about. "And what about you?"

"Me?" He smiled warmly at her. "I'm going to be Hokage one day, so of course I wish for peace. One day, it's not going to be just a wish, because I'm going to make it a reality."

Flashbacks suddenly overwhelmed her and Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as she relived the Fourth Shinobi War, as she witnessed Obito slaughtering hundreds to create his new reality. Even Neji…

"Sakura?"

Her eyes snapped to his and she did her best to swallow down the panic. That wasn't going to happen. Obito had Rin in this timeline, though she couldn't help but worry what would happen to him if he ever lost her. Would he resort to the lost and desperate man he'd been in the other Itachi's world?

"How about some tea?" he offered, smiling. "You look… lost."

"Thanks, but I have to go and meet a friend," she regretfully turned him down. There was nothing she wanted more than to sit down, drink tea and once more get to know Obito, as there was no telling how much had changed since the last time she spoke with him. "Another time?"

Obito nodded and patted the hand holding onto the crook of his elbow. "Next time we speak, however, I want you to stay out of that head of yours." Laughing, he told her, "You're becoming too much like Kakashi."

That wasn't the first time she'd heard those words and it made her gut twist sharply. "That so?" Despite her amused smile, Sakura felt cold on the inside. Was she really becoming so cool and unapproachable? Hadn't Naruto been exaggerating? "Well, I'll make sure to do that as long as you make sure to actually turn up to your physical next week." At his pained expression, she rolled her eyes. Guys were so dramatic! "You're such a baby. Kakashi-sensei doesn't kick up half-"

"I get it, I get it!"

"Do you?" Sakura yanked on his arm as she came to a stop, forcing him to stop, too. "I don't think you understand the risk you're causing yourself by not getting checked out."

"Sakura-chan," he almost sang her name teasingly. Smiling, Obito said, "I'm marrying a medic-nin, remember?"

"A good one! So why isn't she on your case about this?" she demanded.

The second his cheeks began to fill with a blush, Sakura paled and took a step back, slowly bringing her arm back to herself as though one sudden movement would cause something horrific to happen. The blush was creepy, in all honesty and she knew exactly what was going through his mind. She'd seen the same blush on Kakashi's cheeks when he read that damned book of his – well, sort of saw the blush.

"Pervert!"

"Wait, Sakura-chan! It's not like-"

She raised her hands and took another step away from him when he reached for her. The realisation and pure horror on his face would have been amusing had she not been totally creeped out. "I don't want to know." Green eyes looked anywhere but at him. "What happens between you and Rin-san is your own business."

"But that-"

"Sakura?"

While she didn't want to see _him_ any time soon, Sakura found herself incredibly grateful for his intervention, going as far as grabbing his hand and quickly ditching Obito, who was still horrified that his dirty thoughts had been seen clearly.

"Why are we running?"

At least he wasn't stopping her. They both knew that, should he have wanted it, he could have stopped her. "Creepy Obito has made a reappearance."

"I see." She glanced over her shoulder to see he was looking over his, but when their eyes met, he told her, "We are far enough away from him now. You should be safe."

What a relief. Coming to a stop in her run and doing her best to ignore the curious stares they were receiving from other villagers, Sakura released her hold on his hand and smiled up at him shyly. They'd made it around a corner and were closer to the market stalls now, the busy chatter and flow of the crowd forcing them to speak a little louder, to stand a little closer.

"Sorry, Itachi."

"You have nothing to apologise for." His eyebrows came together minutely and he looked at something over her shoulder. "If Obito-san is bothering you-"

"He's not." Damn, had she just gotten him into trouble with the new patriarch of his clan? "We were talking about his physical exams – or lack of – and how, since he's marrying a medic, he should be forced to keep on top of them and-" Sakura cut herself off and blushed. "Sorry. I'm rambling."

Much to her relief, it brought a slight smile to his lips. "It is a habit I am used to by now."

That was true, she realised. In the beginning, her tendency to stray away from their topic, or say more than what was actually necessary, had always irked him. He was a man who stuck to saying what was necessary and never saying anything that didn't need to be said. Now, however, it hardly seemed to register with him until she brought it up.

Why did that make her want to smile?

_Careful…_ She warned herself. Those damned palpitations were back. They were entering dangerous territory. It was that smile of his… No, it was his eyes. No. It was _him_. Itachi always made her smile even when he was pissing her off and it-

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, trying to distract herself. He'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her in the way she wanted him. There was no use in torturing herself any longer.

"Perhaps you would like to heal yourself first?"

Glancing down at herself, she examined her wounds with a critical eye. The worst of them were already dealt with (Naruto had demanded it, much to her annoyance, and Temari hadn't looked sorry in the least about causing her pain), though only to the point where it wouldn't cause her any trouble going about her day. Everything else was left to heal naturally, as she didn't want to waste chakra. Sasuke was right, even if he'd said it several months ago now – she would start fainting again if she recklessly used all her chakra again and again.

"I'll be fine." Hesitantly, she glanced up at him and offered a smile. "They don't even hurt that much anymore."

Itachi didn't argue with her, instead nodding. "We should go somewhere more private."

Her heart skipped a beat, no matter how hard she tried to calm herself. Why did he want to speak with her privately? Was it about the other day? About their argument? About their shaky relationship? Did Itachi want to confess to her, like she had him?

_Stop!_

She was getting in way over her head. It probably wasn't anything to do with that. Being the gentleman that he was, Itachi probably wanted to apologise for what had happened. There wasn't going to be a confession.

Sakura walked behind him rather than by his side. In the back of her mind, she knew that it meant she was submissive, that it meant she relied on him to protect her and she followed his orders, but… They weren't equals. While she could now walk side by side with her boys, she couldn't do that with Itachi. He was on a completely different level and always would be. She didn't deserve to walk beside him, especially not after such a pitiful battle earlier.

They were out in the forest by the time they came to a stop and Sakura could sense that there was nobody around for miles. Sure, it made her nervous, but it also caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. Being alone with him was harder than she'd thought possible. Why…?

Turning, he regarded her silently for a moment. His dark eyes felt as though they were piercing holes into her head, like they were seeing exactly what she was thinking and how she was feeling.

Itachi sighed. "I want to apologise not only for yesterday, but also for my reaction to your confession. It was wrong of me to order you to retire with me."

_See, _a pessimistic voice hissed in the back of her mind. _He doesn't want to confess to you._ But there would be no crying. Sakura breathed in deeply and nodded. "It was. You of all people know how hard I've fought to get to where I am today, Itachi."

"I know," he replied quietly. "It was selfish of me, but I was worried about what ANBU would do to a person like you, Sakura." At her disbelieving expression, he continued, "I don't mean that in a bad way. You are a happy person who enjoys spending time with loved ones. I do not want ANBU to dim your light, or put it out altogether."

"What does that even mean?" she asked in exasperation. Light this and light that! What the hell did he and the other Itachi mean by that?

He smiled. "You are capable of lifting the spirits of others without even trying and you guide them on their darkest days back into the light."

Sakura frowned at that. "You're calling me a… a lighthouse?"

The sound of his laughter unfortunately had her heart skipping beats again, had her holding back the urge to smile. "I would say more like the stars or the moon – without them, the night sky would be pitch black. The world is a happier place for many, because of you."

That wasn't fair. There she was, doing her damned hardest to fall out of love with a man who apparently didn't love her back, and then Itachi had to go and say things like that. How was she supposed to get over him?

Still, she had to know… "Have I made your world happier?"

Even if he said no, even if the answer made her want to curl up and die, she had to know. Even if he didn't love her, if she made him happier by simply being around and being a friend… It would make the pain worth it. It would make is _so_ worth it.

"My world has been much brighter since you came into my life."

* * *

_Darkness._

_His world was shrouded in darkness and he felt numb to it all. Numb to the pain he caused others, numb to the torture his little brother went through, and numb to the ever-present loneliness he felt._

_Since Sakura's death, he'd been wandering aimlessly. Konoha was almost chaotic since her death, with their Hokage at the head of it all and demanding justice, with Uzumaki Naruto screaming about avenging his dear Sakura-chan's death. News had travelled fast about her death and it stunned him, though didn't completely surprise him, that other nations grieved, also._

_She was a beacon of light. In the short time (even eternity seemed too short) he'd known her, Sakura had lit up his world like no other. Until she entered his life, Itachi had honestly had no idea how dark it had become, but then there she was, shining brightly and making him see that there _was_ a light at the end of the tunnel._

_But now she was gone and… that light had disappeared with her._

_There was no escaping the darkness._

* * *

"Sakura?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, blinking fast like that alone would get rid of the memory. "Is that all you wanted to meet with me for? To apologise?"

She needed to get away. Her control on her emotions was getting weaker and weaker – and that was without the other Itachi's memories plaguing her mind. If he kept being so nice to her… she would end up in tears, that much was certain.

"No." Although he still looked suspicious about her behaviour, Itachi reached into his pouch and took something from it, surprising her with how it could even fit in such a small space. "Your mask is broken."

No way…

"You-" Sakura shook her head, staring down at it in disbelief. "This is…"

Gods, she wanted to cry.

"My mask," he finished for her, smiling faintly. "As of today, I have officially retired from ANBU."

It was hesitantly that she accepted the mask styled as a weasel, holding it carefully. "Are you sure?"

"You are the only one I want to have it." The slight smile slipped to an even smaller smirk and like herself, he kept his eyes down, staring at the mask. "I know you won't let me down."

Never. She would never let him down. That was what Sakura wanted to tell him more than anything, but instead, she murmured, "Thank you."

It was pathetic, but it was all she could say. If she said any more, the tears would start and there would be no stopping them. Crying over everything was incredibly tiring, but then again, this was nothing small or insignificant. This meant… It meant everything.

It meant that Itachi was seeing them as equals, as her being good enough to wear his mask – a mask that was as infamous as its owner.

Gods, she was going to cry!

"You have no idea how much this means to me."

He shook his head, appearing tired. "I do."

He did? He understood her feelings for him? Why did it feel like that wasn't true? Why did it feel like he didn't understand in the slightest how she felt about him?

"Do you?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. "I don't think you do understand." At his silence, at the clenching of his jaw, she took that as her cue to continue. If Itachi hadn't wanted her to speak, then he would have silenced her or walked away again. "I love you," she told him weakly. "And I think I'm always going to love you, but…" It hurt too much to look at him and Sakura sucked in a breath, trying to control the need to cry. "I can't… let you keep hurting me like this."

"Sakura…"

She shook her head. "No, let me say it. If I don't say it now I never will." Sighing, she met his eye, frowning. "I'm not going to keep fighting for a man who clearly doesn't want me," Sakura murmured, throat tight. "I've tried to get to know you and every time I tried, you knocked me back. I confessed… and you rejected me." Through her pain, she smiled sadly. "I can't be friends with you anymore, Itachi. It hurts too much.

"I've realised that you're not the one doing the breaking, I'm breaking my own heart by being in love you with."

"That is why…" He sighed and glanced down at the ground, his eyebrows knitting together. "My world is too dark for you, Sakura."

"Then I'll light it up," she argued. Was that him saying she meant something to him? "_Let me_ light it up!"

Itachi smiled at that, though still wouldn't look at her. "You're contradicting yourself. You say you won't fight for someone like me, yet you clearly aren't ready to let go."

It hurt. His words hurt like hell, but at the same time, she knew he was right. Despite her words, the last thing Sakura wanted to do was let go and give up on him, not when she knew he felt something for her. He'd said it himself in his own roundabout way.

"Do you want me to?" Her words were quiet and weak.

For the longest time, there was no answer and for those tortuous minutes, she was certain he was going to give in and accept his feelings for her.

Eventually, however, her heart was broken all over again when he murmured just as quietly, "It is for your own good."

* * *

For her own good.

Entering her apartment, Sakura looked around languidly and sighed, shutting the door softly behind herself. It always felt so empty nowadays, like it wasn't a home, but instead somewhere that simply held her belongings, somewhere she stayed every now and then when between missions. It felt cold and impersonal.

"For my own good," she repeated to herself.

The keys to her apartment were dropped into a dish not too far from the door as she went over and over her conversation with Itachi.

What right did he have to say something like that? She was big enough and strong enough to make her own decisions. If she wanted to give her heart away to him, then that was her decision to make, not his. Saying that… Sakura supposed it was his decision to accept her feelings, even though she wanted nothing more than to throw them at him with everything she had, so that he wouldn't be able to brush them aside or ignore them any longer.

Walking over to the altar in her living room, she slowly knelt in front of it, gazing at the picture.

"Gods, Ino. I wish you were here. I could _really_ do with some advice. You know better than anyone how difficult Uchiha men are." Frustration had her fists clenching against her thighs, had her scowling shakily as Sakura fought against her emotions yet again. "Can't you send me another sign? What the hell even was that, huh? Is that your way of saying I should be with him?"

The silence only angered her further.

"Well you're wrong," she snapped. "He doesn't want me, Ino! He said his world's too dark for me."

Belatedly, Sakura realised she was yelling at a dead girl's picture and forced herself to stop, her head falling into her hands. How low had she fallen? Was that what love did to a person? Did it reduce them to nothing more than an emotional wreck?

"Just tell me what to do," she begged in a trembling voice. "Please, Ino-Pig."


	38. I'll Light The Night With Stars

**Chapter 38**

**I'll Light The Night With Stars**

* * *

She awoke to the sound of her front door opening, though couldn't find the energy to open her eyes, let alone sit up from her curled up position on the floor. Even when the person who entered sighed at the pitiful state she was in and picked her up, Sakura didn't put up a fight and no, it wasn't because she knew it was Sasuke who'd entered her home. Even when his cold hands brushed against the back of her knees to get a better hold of her, she didn't fight back.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" he asked irritably. Did he know she was awake? "You're such a masochist."

Whatever.

There was a moment of juggling as Sasuke shifted her weight into the other arm, blindly searching for the handle to her bedroom door – wait, was it blindly? Was his sharingan active, aiding him in seeing in the dark somewhat? Who cared?

Vaguely surprised with how gentle he was in placing her down into the bed, Sakura forced herself to open her eyes, watching tiredly as he knelt beside the bed and regarded her silently for a few moments.

"Itachi asked me to check on you," he answered her unspoken question. "Now I see why."

Presumptuous Uchiha men. Gods, it angered her. First Itachi assumed she wouldn't be able to handle the darkness of his world and shut her out 'for her own good'. Now, Sasuke was assuming she was in her current state because of his brother. Okay, that was partially true, but it was mostly exhaustion. Kind of.

"You spoke to him." Weakly, she nodded. "And?"

How long had she been asleep for in front of Ino's altar? It must have been a while, because when she next spoke, her voice was croaky and rough, "He wants me to move on."

"Will you?"

It wasn't said unkindly. Part of her heart even warmed at the fact Sasuke knew her well enough by now to know that it wouldn't be so easy for her to move on. Her heart wasn't fickle and it would take a long while to let go of Uchiha Itachi. Who could really blame her?

Green eyes quickly left Sasuke's questioning gaze at the awful feeling of her throat aching, of her chest constricting with the tell-tale signs of a fast-approaching breakdown. It was almost humorous, wasn't it? She'd become such a powerful, highly respected and feared kunoichi, but one guy was enough to reduce her to an emotional wreck.

Then again… She _was_ only seventeen. Civilians her age were still finding themselves, were still in education. They were still kids, whereas she'd taken lives and had been elbows deep in blood and guts on several occasions. Was she allowed these moments of weakness to act like a girl her age? Or was that held against her?

"I can't," she admitted in a trembling voice.

"Is he worth it?" There was clear anger in Sasuke's voice and it surprised her, but Sakura still couldn't look at him, even when he spoke again in a much rougher voice, "Is he worth the agony you're in?"

Worth it? Itachi was… not the man everyone presumed he was. They saw an unapproachable prodigy of the Uchiha clan, a man who was on a totally different level to the rest of them, a man who was complex and indifferent and composed. A man they had no hopes in understanding. What she saw, however, was a man who was struggling internally to find a light at the end of the tunnel. She saw a man who did what was expected of him, who fought so very hard for control, because that was all he knew. Itachi was a man who _needed_ control, because it threw him completely off balance not to have it. He was a man with countless flaws, despite how perfect he seemed to everyone else.

He was a man who needed somebody to light up his world.

"Love always causes pain," Sakura murmured in reply.

"Then what's the point of it?" he demanded. "What's the point in any of it, if you're not getting anything out of it?"

Since Sasuke hadn't switched the light on, her bedroom was bathed in the darkness of the night, but instead of being disconcerting, it comforted her. A person was capable of hiding so much in the darkness, including their tears.

"Who said I didn't get anything out of it?" she asked and was proud of herself for keeping the shake out of her voice. "Itachi… sees me as his equal."

"…He does?"

It brought a smile to her lips, despite the tears flowing freely down the sides of her face. "Yeah."

Sasuke suddenly sighed once more. Usually, a person would have shifted in their position of kneeling on a hardwood floor, but being who he was, she supposed he was used to it by now. The Uchiha Clan was traditional in many ways, and from the other Itachi's memories, she saw how they were raised and what their clan meetings were like. They sat for hours at a time in that very same position.

"You said we would have a mission."

She couldn't help but chuckle. Trust Sasuke to change the subject like that – he was never one for an emotional conversation. In a way, she supposed she was grateful for that. "I suppose I did."

"Well?"

Green eyes rolled and somehow, she found the strength to sit up in bed and face him. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the dark, she could see that Sasuke was dressed in full jōnin uniform. "I was kind of preoccupied with something a little more pressing."

"Naruto told me," he said with obvious disapproval. "You're more than capable of disarming Temari. Why didn't you?"

While that was true, there was still the struggle of getting close enough to her to disarm Temari. All Sakura would have had to do once close enough, was take the fan and bend it, as the metal obviously wouldn't be anything magical or indestructible. Her enhanced strength would have been more than enough to get the job done, even if it meant forever being on Temari's bad side.

"I wasn't… I couldn't go against my friend," she replied with a helpless shrug. "It wasn't that I lacked the strength. I just couldn't…" Deciding a change in conversation was needed, for she was getting way too tired of going over her mistakes, Sakura then said, "I'll go and see Hokage-sama in the morning and request a mission."

There was a moment of pause, an almost awkward silence as Sasuke continued to watch her and while the look in his eyes was guarded, it still felt like he was trying to understand her, or like he was trying to figure something difficult out.

She didn't need three guesses to know what it was about, not since it was his first time in her apartment since building the thing.

"Just say it, Sasuke-kun."

He sighed. "You built an altar."

It was true that he had a right to be concerned, or at least confused. Usually it was only the family of the deceased who created an altar for them, but it was like Sai said: she and Ino were more like sisters than friends, just as he and his friend, Shin, had been more like brothers. It was so strange to admit it, but Sai understood her pain and had offered to build the altar with her because they were supposed to help with the grieving process.

"I thought it would make me feel closer to her," admitted Sakura and she copied his sigh. "But all I feel when I look at it is frustration and anguish." Closing her eyes, she tried to shut out the pain, but it was no use. The ever-present ache in her heart wouldn't let up. It never did. "I just… wish Ino had the same chance as the rest of us," she whispered. "To fall in love and grow old with that person, surrounded by their children and grandchildren and-"

"You're upsetting yourself," Sasuke said, though not unkindly. The words were spoken softly, almost comfortingly. "There's no use torturing yourself with those thoughts."

"How can I not?" Sakura asked brokenly. "I feel like I'm not living enough, like I'm wasting every opportunity Ino can never have."

"Then do something about it," he told her simply. "Move on from my brother, Sakura. He said before that I was holding you back – said Naruto was, too – but it seems like, right now, he's the one holding you back."

Was that how it seemed to others? Was Itachi really holding her back? In all honesty, Sakura couldn't see herself being with anyone else, or having the time to so much as consider being with anyone else. Was that because of her feelings for him? It was pretty terrifying, if that was the case.

But to just move on from him, like her feelings weren't anything spectacular was… It was insulting. To him _and_ to herself.

How exactly was she supposed to move on, when she saw him almost every day? Going out with someone new was completely out of the question – the only guys she knew were either related to Itachi, or friends with him and that was just a huge middle finger to him, not to mention ridiculously disrespectful.

"I don't want to move on."

Sasuke looked at her like she was the most difficult puzzle in the world, like he was suddenly stuck in Naruto's brain and trying to understand why the hell Hinata kept stuttering and blushing around him (the amount of times he'd asked Sakura if Hinata had a fever, or if she was ill, was bordering on insane).

"Why?"

She smiled helplessly. "I'm in love with him."

* * *

Before, Sakura had promised Sasuke a mission because it was obvious he was growing restless, not to mention it gave her some time with her boys and a chance to bond with them again. Now, however, she was determined to get an a-ranked, possibly even s-ranked mission, as she knew for a fact he was severely pissed off with her.

He didn't understand why she was so in love with someone who refused to acknowledge his feelings towards her, or why she was so against moving on when all she would ever get in return for her loyalty and devotion, was rejection. Cold, hard rejection.

The Hokage Tower was calm as she entered and while walking towards Minato's office, she found that there was hardly anyone inside. That wasn't too worrying since it was a lovely day outside – a cloudless summer sky bore down on them all, warming them up and the village was busy with life. It reminded Sakura why she pushed herself so hard: the villagers, people who couldn't defend themselves. She did what she had to, to protect them all and make sure that they lived in peace. Fortunately for her, Minato wasn't busy and the second she knocked politely, he was telling her to come in. His office was much tidier than usual, Sakura noticed. There weren't piles of paperwork waiting to be signed and read through, and there was also no books or scrolls laying around and cluttering his desk.

"Visitors, Hokage-sama?"

He smiled warmly. "The Kazekage, actually. He should be here within the hour, if not sooner."

That fast? She had to admit, she was impressed, but then again, he was the Kazekage for a reason (that or he set off not long after his children).

"How are Temari and Kankuro?" she asked.

Not that they sustained any injuries, but they were currently under arrest – Minato could pretty the words up as much as he liked, however, there was no getting around it. They were being classed as criminals and should the elders learn about what transpired… It wouldn't end well for them, that was for certain. Kazekage's children or not, they had attacked Konoha-nin and had said themselves that they would go through anyone they had to, to get a hold of Yahiko, Konan and Nagato. The elders would say that the village was in danger and, using that, would gain the vote of the heads of each clan.

"They are understandably angry." Sighing, Minato looked years older as he relaxed fully in his seat, slouching. It was an odd sight when he was dressed in his official Hokage robes. "Temari-san more so than Kankuro-kun." Oh? Had Temari snapped at him already about the 'chan' honorific? Sakura had known, the very first time she'd heard him say it, that she wouldn't like it. "Gaara-kun is doing his best to talk with them, however."

She frowned, chewing on her lip worriedly.

His warm smile returned, the same smile as Kakashi's and Naruto's, telling her not to worry so much, because everything was going to work out fine. "I'm sure the Kazekage won't be too harsh on his children, Sakura-chan." Blue eyes creased. "As long as the elders don't catch wind of what happened, then our only concern is the Kazekage."

She nodded in agreement. "He will be assisted by his guard, won't he? Will you need our squad?"

Shaking his head, he said, "Kushina and Naruto will be there, along with one of my advisers. That will be plenty enough." At her deepening frown, Minato smiled. "You worry too much for such a young girl, Sakura-chan. Go out and enjoy your life – you won't be young forever."

His words reminded her of her panic the night before, reminding her of what Sasuke had told her. Were their words any different? They held the same meaning, didn't they? It was all about the opportunities and not wasting them.

From what Sakura could remember, a few years ago Minato had made Kakashi one of his trusted advisers, once he'd well and truly retired from ANBU. Of course, there was still the odd mission every now and then, but he was no longer an active member. If Kakashi was the one who was accompanying their Hokage, then she knew she could breathe easy. Nothing got by her former sensei and he would know what to do, should the Kazekage turn on them.

More than anything, Sakura hoped that wouldn't happen.

"Not that I am not glad to see you after yesterday's events," Minato said teasingly, "but why have you come to me, Sakura-chan? Are you well?"

There was probably a deeper meaning to those three words, however, she wasn't going to get into it. "Actually," she began, smiling in an attempt to sweeten him up, "I was wondering if you could assign myself and Team Seven a mission? Preferably something above a-ranked." At his responding silence and expression of regret, Sakura continued quickly, "Obviously after your meeting with Kazekage-sama."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Minato said apologetically. "You are needed in another team. The debriefing will be tonight, in fact."

What? Already? That wasn't fair. She wanted to go out with her boys – it had been way too long.

Sighing, Sakura nodded once, anyway. If she was needed, then that meant there truly was no one else for the job. It just couldn't be helped. They needed a medic who was capable of fighting on the front lines, meaning it would be s-ranked or even higher than that. Sure, there was Tsunade, but she was always in high demand at the hospital.

"I understand."

"I promise that when you get back, I will leave some time for you to go on a mission with Naruto and Sasuke-kun," he offered, still sounding apologetic. "Right now, however, I think it would be in Konoha's best interest to keep Naruto here – until the Kazekage and his children leave, at least."

That was logical, too, since Naruto and Gaara understood one another so well – like they were brothers, in a way. They knew of each other's pain, the pain of being jinchūriki and having to deal with others hating them for it, and they were there for each other now that they were on good terms. They would do their absolute best to make sure everything ended on good terms – no, not ended, but they would fix the problems between their villages and save the treaty.

"What time would you like for me to come back, Hokage-sama?"

"I will send for you." Sighing, Minato then asked with a minute frown, "How are you feeling, Sakura-chan? You're being awfully closed off for once."

She was? "I'm fine, Hokage-sama."

"There is nothing bothering you?"

Sakura shook her head, willing the vicious ache in her heart to go away. The Hokage didn't have time to listen to her love life problems (or lack of love life). He had a meeting with the Kazekage that would determine whether or not they would be going to war with Suna, on top of massive piles of paperwork.

"You will tell me if you need a break, won't you?"

Why should she receive special treatment? What did she have to complain about? She had a life, didn't she? Well, she was living and that was something too many people didn't get the chance to do.

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

There was a beat of silence and during it, her hands came together behind her back, fisting tightly, wondering if he was going to dismiss her, or if she had to ask to be dismissed. It still looked as though Minato was trying to read her mind, regardless of the fact she'd showed him more or less everything not too long ago. Was he worried about her because of the things he saw? Could she really blame him if he was worried?

And then, all of a sudden, he asked her, "Sakura-chan, would you ever consider taking on a group of students?"

She frowned. Was this Minato's way of telling her he didn't want her on the squad anymore? Had he been lying when he said he still trusted her? "You mean… retire from ANBU."

"Not necessarily," he argued quietly. "It would give you more experience and you can continue taking ANBU missions on top of missions with your students-"

"Though never missions that could take me away from the village for prolonged periods of time." It had killed her a little on the inside each and every time Kakashi did that to them and Sakura vehemently refused to cause that sort of hurt to anyone, especially not children. "I'm still a child myself in many ways, Hokage-sama. No student is going to respect someone who's nearly the same age as them – it doesn't matter how much I'm talked about in the village, or how highly I'm respected by others. Hell, Team Seven had a hard time respecting Kakashi-sensei because he seemed much younger than he actually is."

"At least consider it," Minato pleaded. "Kakashi said taking on Team Seven and taking a step back in ANBU was one of the greatest decisions of his life."

Oh, she highly doubted that. Kakashi enjoyed the adrenaline rush of fighting for his life, of feeling as though every mission was his last. He enjoyed feeling useful and appreciated by higher ups, even if he would never admit it. They all did. They all needed that feeling of accomplishment whenever their strength was recognised and praised.

"I don't want to take on students," Sakura told him firmly. Just the thought of having three impressionable, fragile twelve year olds under her care caused her stomach to tie into a knot and her heart to skip a beat. It was terrifying. "I'm staying in ANBU."

Like hell she would be pushed into a position she didn't want to be in. She wasn't a pushover anymore.

"If that's what you truly want," he replied with a sigh. The expression on his face screamed his displeasure and disappointment, but she didn't care. "You are dismissed, Sakura-chan."

Without looking back, Sakura left, not caring that the door banged on her way out.

* * *

Anger was still making her stomach twist, but something that was more painful than that, was the hurt she felt. It was like Minato didn't trust her anymore and it… hurt so much. He'd always been a nice person in her eyes, so was this his way of politely telling her that he didn't want her on the squad anymore?

Fortunately for her, the villagers stayed out of her way as she made her way to the hospital. It was the one place where Sakura knew what the hell she was doing, even if it _had_ been way too long since she was last there. There, she felt safe. There was a shred of normalcy within the hospital's four walls, there was a sense of purpose. It made her feel useful, despite all that was happening and it was a great way to distract herself.

A talk with Tsunade would set her straight, too.

Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists to try and hold back her anger, Sakura picked up her pace. Having a tantrum in front of the villagers couldn't happen. Not only would it terrify them, but it would…

Frowning as her eyes fell onto a completely surprising sight, Sakura came to a stop in her fast paced stomp towards the hospital.

And then… her anger faded away.

She saw Itachi at the other end of the street, nodding to three young children and she once again thought about what Minato had said.

Unlike herself, who was way too young and reckless to order kids about, as she was no older than them, she could seriously see Itachi managing them well. He would be a strong sensei, a capable one. If his students ever had any problems, they could go to him with them, and he would be able to help. Whether it was training, or guidance, or simply somebody to lighten the burden… Itachi was the person to go to. In a way, she supposed he'd been like a sensei to her when she first joined ANBU. He had always been there to help her, to teach her and to protect her, hadn't he?

Sakura tilted her head to the side, admiring the gentleness of his gaze as he smiled and the light-hearted way he spoke to the children and when his eyes lifted and met hers, she didn't look away. Instead, she smiled at him and was inwardly relieved when Itachi didn't immediately look away. None of the warmth left his eyes as he returned her smile.

Her smile turned bittersweet when his attention returned to the children and unknowingly, Sakura clutched at her shirt, over her heart. Damned pain… Would it ever leave her alone? Would she ever get over him?

When he looked back to see if she was still there, she made sure to be long gone, already rushing to the hospital.

* * *

"Trouble in paradise?"

Sakura did her best to ignore the knowing look in her shishou's honey brown eyes, but it was impossible. There was no way to escape it. All but throwing herself into the chair opposite Tsunade's desk, she breathed out a sigh of frustration, again trying not to take notice in the way she gazed at her.

"You've gotten brave since joining ANBU, I'll admit that," she muttered. "But just know, Sakura, if you ever invite yourself into my office and throw yourself into my chairs in such a pitiful manner again, I will beat you to within an inch of your life. Is that understood?"

She sighed once more, this time in resignation. Even the threats that had once sent her running with her knees knocking together no longer had an effect. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

There was a tsk followed by the sound of Tsunade dropping her pen to the desk and when Sakura looked up, she found her shishou staring at her expectantly. "What is it?"

It was fairly amusing to see that the blinds were shut, blocking out the harsh sun outside. Knowing Tsunade the way she did, she was willing to bet whatever money she had to her name that the woman was hungover. The crankiness was just a part of her personality.

"Hokage-sama suggested I take on students."

"Oh?" Her lips curved with a smile as she folded her hands together, resting her chin on them. "Are you passing on my knowledge?"

Was that encouragement to take on a team of students? "I refused."

The smile disappeared. "I see. Why?"

With a sigh, green eyes drifted up to the plain white ceiling. If nothing else, at least she'd get the chance to catch up with her shishou. How long had it been this time? They'd gone from regular training sessions to rarely seeing one another, either because Tsunade was busy stretching herself way too thin in the hospital, trying to heal everyone and ease their pain all at once, or Sakura was busy with missions.

"How can they respect someone who's nearly the same age as them?" she asked grumpily.

"That's bullshit and you know it." The blunt language didn't shock her. In fact, she'd been expecting it. "All you would have to do is show them who's boss and you'll have your respect." Irritation was etched into Tsunade's beautiful features. "How the hell do you think I got here today being a woman?"

Sexist-

"The times I grew up in, Sakura, didn't allow women to do much other than teaching and a medical career. Even kunoichi were restricted mainly to seduction missions simply because they were women." Chuckling once, she added, "If you were ugly, then you had to use a henge, otherwise you were screwed and out of a job."

Was she serious? Tsunade was in her late fifties – surely things weren't _that_ different when she was growing up? Then again, from the memories the other Itachi left with her, Sakura knew that Madara and Danzo both believed all women were weak emotional wrecks – probably weren't the only ones, either. But there were men like that still plaguing their streets.

Though she supposed they _had_ come a long way, if what Tsunade was saying was true. Women – some of the women _she'd_ met – no longer held themselves back in any way, shape or form. _They_ were the ones who got shit done and put food on the table, refusing to rely on men to do all the hard work while they remained housewives. Honestly, Sakura hoped she never became a housewife.

"If you want to do something, go and do it. Don't sit around sulking, expecting things to come to you."

Jeez. And to think she'd come to Tsunade to try and be cheered up.

"Now, if you're done brooding like an Uchiha, go and make yourself useful."

Frowning, she sat up properly. "I have nothing to do until tonight."

"There's never 'nothing to do'," she scoffed in reply. "How about you do some rounds today?" Tsunade offered and picked up her own clipboard, handing it over. "You'll recognise a few of the names – you've treated them before."

Accepting the clipboard, her green eyes skimmed through the names, along with what was wrong with them and at a point, she felt her heart break.

"Poor Satsuki-san," she whispered. "She's only sixty-three."

There was a responding sigh. "I know. It's a difficult job, Sakura."

Could her heart take any more breaking?

Before ANBU, she was the one who regularly examined Satsuki and during those times, the woman was nothing but warm and kind to her. A pretty dry sense of humour, sure, but she was easy to get on with. It was devastating that such a kind old woman was suffering from a terminal illness. However, knowing that the woman had a loving family behind her and supporting her, eased the pain somewhat. During their old regular check-ups, they'd discussed many things and her family was one of their favourite topics.

"But somebody has to do it," Sakura added and did her best to smile. "Are you sure your patients won't mind?"

Tsunade waved dismissively, once more busying herself with paperwork. "Of course not. You're my student, meaning they're in capable hands." Pausing for a second, she looked up seriously. "Satsuki's eyesight has deteriorated immensely, by the way. She can barely see a thing."

The ache in her heart doubled.

* * *

"Satsuki-san," Sakura almost sang as she entered the room, her smile widening at the way Satsuki instantly recognised her voice. The woman had brightened up considerably and even though she was staring sightlessly at the foot of her bed, it warmed her heart how she never truly forgot her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The old lady patted the side of her bed in invitation and gratefully, Sakura accepted the space. Satsuki was only small, even shorter than herself and was frighteningly thin – though she supposed the latter could only be expected in her ill state. It was difficult for her to keep anything down.

"Sakura-chan, how have you been? It's been too long!" In a grandmotherly gesture, the woman then said, "There's some chocolates in my bag, if you want some. They tell me not to eat them because they're full of bad ingredients and I can't keep much down."

Reaching for the bag that was on the nightstand, she searched for the chocolates and checked the expiration date, just to be sure they were still edible. Once she knew they were safe to eat, she told Satsuki, "Tell you what, I'll give you one if you tell me another one of your stories. It'll be a secret!"

Much to her happiness, Satsuki laughed. It was a cheerful sound, despite where she was and how short a time she had left. "Oh, no. You don't want to hear an old woman's boring stories. Tell me about you, Sakura-chan. Where have you been?"

Guilt wrapped around her heart, but instead of letting it show, she busied herself with unwrapping two chocolates and handing one to the woman. "I've been on missions, Satsuki-san. Hokage-sama recognised my strength and asked me to be one of his guards."

It felt okay opening up to Satsuki and not because she was dying. The woman was a retired kunoichi, one who had once been feared and highly respected. However, she fell in love and decided to retire, opening a sweet shop in the village to help support her family. There were children – well, they weren't children anymore. If Sakura remembered the stories correctly, then her eldest child was still an active shinobi.

"Really? That's amazing." There was another smile as she sucked on the chocolate and she couldn't help but wonder how a woman who appeared so cheerful and at peace, was so ill. "That is a great achievement, Sakura-chan."

"I know." She returned the smile even though Satsuki couldn't see it. "But enough about me. I'm so bored of my own life that I think it's time to change a few things, you know?"

"You have plenty of time for change," Satsuki told her warmly.

Shit. There she was complaining about how boring her life was, when the poor woman didn't have that long left of her own life. How selfish did she sound? It was like being a child again, a superficial child who cared only for herself.

"Sorry," Sakura murmured, her cheeks red with shame.

Instantly, the old woman was laughing, her hand coming down to Sakura's knee and patting it gently. How she knew it was there, she didn't question it, since Satsuki was once a shinobi. Just because her eyesight was gone, it didn't mean her skills were.

"Don't apologise to an old woman for being young, Sakura-chan," she said with a chuckle. "It's natural for a person your age to be bored. God know my son was the same way."

"How is your son?" Sakura asked, trying to change the subject.

The laughter died away until Satsuki was serious once more, her sightless eyes boring into the foot of the bed. The sudden seriousness filled her with dread, had her expecting the worst and the words of condolences bubbled on her tongue, ready to be said as soon as she said-

"He got married the other week," she told her.

Oh.

That wasn't what she'd expected at all.

Frowning, Sakura sat up. "Isn't that a good thing?"

She sighed. "Oh, yes. Definitely. He's very happy with his bride."

The frown deepened as she sensed Satsuki's growing upset. "Then why are you sad, Satsuki-san?"

"I wish I could have seen it."

Tears threatened to fill her eyes. Of course, it was so obvious that she would want to see her son's wedding with her own eyes – eyes that couldn't see a thing and would never be able to. People could describe the setting to her to try and help her envision it, but it couldn't possibly compare to seeing it for herself.

"You know, in my clan, our eyes are everything to us."

The words stunned her and Sakura examined Satsuki's features more closely, however, there was no likeness to the other Uchiha clansmen. It seemed ridiculous, as she'd been her medic for many years, but she'd never known Satsuki as anything other than Satsuki-san. The woman never gave her last name – it wasn't even on her file. Obviously, it was strange. With her being a kunoichi, though, she'd never thought twice about it. After all, Sai didn't have a last name. Neither did Tenten.

"If you don't mind my asking…?"

"What clan?" The smile was wistful. "I was an Uchiha, Sakura-chan."

It was rude to think it, but all other Uchiha she'd met were flawlessly beautiful. Satsuki wasn't like the other Uchiha. There was nothing spectacular about her features – they were plain, average and her personality was a total opposite to the other Uchiha women, who were all snobs and so far up their own a-

"I was disowned by my parents for choosing to marry a man outside of the clan," Satsuki told her and like she could hear her thoughts, a very arrogant, Uchiha-like smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. "But it was what I wanted and so I went through with it, regardless of their disapproval."

Well, shit.

She really was an Uchiha.

"Why not take your husband's last name, though?" she couldn't help but ask.

Her smirk widened. "I learned that I would not be defined by what my last name is. I may have been an Uchiha, may be a married woman, but I always have and always will be my own woman." She patted Sakura's leg once more. "Be your own person, Sakura-chan, and never allow yourself to be weighed down by anything. You are young enough and certainly strong enough to change things."

The words brought a smile to her lips.

* * *

A good spar was exactly what she needed.

Panting for breath, Sakura watched her shishou closely, waiting for the moment their spar recommenced. Her heart was pounding and sweat was running down her spine and temple, but damn did it feel good to let all her frustration out.

It hadn't been long since her chat with Satsuki and it was still repeating itself in her mind. What she said was true – there was more than enough time to change the things that were making her unhappy, and she was the only one who could change them. It was her life and Sakura thought it was about time she took control of it.

"How are your reserves?" Tsunade asked, also watching her closely. "You have a mission tonight, so I won't tire you out too much."

"They're still pretty much untouched," she replied with an arrogant smirk.

The blonde chuckled at that, but surprised Sakura by standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips. "Well, let's leave it at that, then." At her look of disbelief, Tsunade scowled. "Don't give me that look, Sakura. You're ANBU now, meaning your missions _need_ you to be at full strength. I will sooner give up my sake than have you die on a mission because of recklessness, is that understood?"

"I suppose," Sakura reluctantly agreed, copying her shishou's example as she relaxed out of her fighting stance.

"I have to admit: I'm impressed with how much you've improved." The compliment shocked her, leaving her to stare up at the older woman with wide green eyes. "I couldn't predict a single one of your movements and you've stopped relying on just your enhanced strength to win a fight."

Blushing, Sakura ducked her head, trying to hide her happiness. It was rare for Tsunade to compliment her or praise her, but when she did, no matter how old Sakura got, it always made her feel giddy on the inside.

"Sakura."

She looked up at her, frowning softly at how much closer she suddenly was. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

It surprised her greatly when the blonde placed her hand on the top of her head, smiling down at her. "I'm proud of you."

Damn it… Why were tears filling her eyes? It wasn't a sad moment – the exact opposite, in fact and Sakura couldn't have been happier, so why did she have to cry like a baby?

Tsunade chuckled and as the hand left her hair, she gently brushed the tears away, her gaze warm and tender. "For what it's worth, I think you'd be a great sensei."

"R-Really?"

"Of course, you learned from me."

How arrogant! Despite that, she still laughed, feeling incredibly light as she did so. In the back of her mind, Sakura wondered how long it had been since she laughed so freely, but the thought only made her feel sadder and in response, she shut it out. It wasn't worth thinking about.

But apparently Tsunade didn't think so, her eyes saddening somewhat. It could only be expected, though. After appearing so pitiful in her office earlier that day, it was only natural for her shishou to worry. Regardless of how she acted, she had the biggest heart Sakura had ever seen. The blonde cared about everyone so dearly, even if she never admitted it. The fear of going through such agonising loss was what held her back and she knew deep in her heart that that would probably never change.

"How are things with Itachi?"

"They could be better," Sakura admitted, sighing. "It just feels like no matter what happens or how much I try to avoid it, I'm always hurting."

Honey brown eyes lowered to the ground, seeming distant as she quietly murmured, "When it hurts, that's when you know it's true."

There she was being selfish again. Damn it. What right did she have to complain when Tsunade had lost the love of her life in the most horrific way? With his blood staining all the way up to her elbows, with him telling her in rasping breaths that he didn't want to die. What right did she have?

"Tsunade-sama, I'm-"

Honey brown eyes darted to the trees, narrowing dangerously and she honestly feared for whoever was intruding on them. Interrupting a moment where the blonde was so vulnerable was suicidal.

"It seems we have an audience."

Sakura's eyes narrowed a fraction and swept through the gaps in the trees. As always, her shishou was a step ahead – she hadn't even been able to sense their presence until Tsunade had pointed it out. However, she didn't scold herself for it. The older woman was much more experienced than herself.

"Come out," Sakura ordered before Tsunade could.

Part of herself shrunk back, fearing the look of disbelief and the flying fist of anger that was about to punch her back into her place, but it never came. Instead, she continued to watch the trees. What did that mean?

"Ah, sorry for intruding." Three people left the trees, the person in front scratching his shockingly ginger hair. "We heard you were down here and wanted to speak with you."

She was glad Konan was looking well. After all that had happened since Temari and Kankuro's attack yesterday, Sakura hadn't had the chance to go and see her. Then again, she'd done well to keep Konan out of the battle, to keep all their names clear. There was no reason for her not to be well.

"I should have come sooner," Konan said, stepping around Yahiko. Behind her, Nagato stood silently, his strange purple eyes surveying the damage from her and Tsunade's spar. "Naruto-kun said it would be best to stay hidden, however."

Yes, it was best. They should have stayed hidden in the first place and maybe yesterday wouldn't have happened. The whole battle could have been avoided if Minato had just followed her advice – hell, they _both_ should have listened to Itachi in the first place and found somewhere else for the trio to hide.

"We wanted to apologise," Yahiko stated earnestly. "Please forgive us for causing so much trouble for you, Sakura-chan."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her expectantly. It made sense. Nobody outside of those who were involved in the battle yesterday (and Sasuke), knew of what happened and it was to remain that way. Both for Temari and Kankuro's sake as well as Yahiko, Konan and Nagato's. There was no telling how the villagers would react if they found out how close they came to war because they were housing supposed criminals.

"Don't worry about it," she replied easily. "It's old news."

Smiling, Konan stepped forward and held out her hand and instantly, paper began to gather, looking exactly like the bouquet she had made for her yesterday – the one that had been destroyed by the harsh wind summoned by Temari's fan.

"Thank you," Sakura said gratefully, accepting them with both hands. "They're beautiful."

"No, thank you for defending us," came Konan's serious reply. "Even though they are your friends, you still protected us. Not a lot of people would do that after all that has happened. You truly are a good woman with a kind heart. Thank you."

* * *

With her spirits well and truly lifted, and a smile unable to leave her lips, Sakura walked down the streets of Konoha, intent on sneaking into Ichiraku's with her boys. It would be the only chance she had to tell them about her mission and with how happy she currently felt, she knew she could handle Sasuke's discontent and anger, on top of Naruto's disappointment.

However, she was once again distracted when she spotted a familiar face in the crowds, his black hood instantly capturing her attention. How in the hell did he get out of ANBU's watchful eyes? If he was out on the streets, then that meant he escaped them and-

"Sakura."

"Kankuro-san." Green eyes narrowed suspiciously. He wasn't being watched by ANBU. Had Kankuro actually managed to sneak away? If so, it was her responsibility to drag him straight back. "How are you out here?"

A large hand came to the back of his head and he scratched it in an almost self-conscious gesture. "My dad spoke with your Hokage. Everything's sorted."

That easily? "And your sister?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sulking. He's got Gaara watching over her, but she doesn't mind as much. ANBU were pretty rough."

What? "They hurt you?" she demanded, concern causing her to snap the words more than ask them. Fortunately, Kankuro didn't seem to care.

"No more than what we deserved," he said with a careless shrug. "Our ANBU would have skinned you alive had our positions been reversed. We knew what we were getting ourselves into."

Sakura's frown deepened. So much for nothing ruining her happy mood. "They shouldn't have laid a single hand on either of you. Hokage-sama demanded that you were kept out of sight, not interrogated."

Again, Kankuro shrugged. "I wanted to ask you something, anyway."

"Go ahead."

Glancing down the street at Ichiraku's, she saw Sasuke and Naruto stepping into the stall. It would give her half an hour, at the very least, to join them. Whatever Kankuro had to say would probably be over within a matter of minutes, possibly less. There was nothing he could say that would-

"Will you go on a date with me?"

…Shock her.

"W-What?"

A small smirk played on his lips and once more, Kankuro scratched the back of his head. Was it a nervous gesture? Could someone like him even get nervous in anything outside of battle? The thought seemed laughable, yet there they stood, with him looking nervous.

"Yesterday… I couldn't attack you. Even though we talked about it and what we had to do should it really come down to it, I couldn't attack you like Temari could." The smirk slipped away, leaving him looking troubled and uncomfortable, just as he had the day before. "Seeing her tear into you like that was painful. I felt sick."

He was… being serious. There wasn't a trace of a lie in his voice or his expression and it made her stomach twist sharply. What was she supposed to say to that? To what seemed like the most sincere and emotional speech he'd ever given her?

"I know it seems sudden," he added, gazing over her shoulder. "But I thought it was obvious I was attracted to you back during Naruto's training with Gaara."

Well, yes, but… This was totally unexpected. Sakura could _feel_ her mouth hanging open in shock, could feel her wide eyes staring at him – no, _gawking_ at him.

It was so surreal.

"Well?" he pushed and looked back at her, a faint blush staining his cheeks and nose. "Will you go on a date with me?"

Damn it, how did she say no?

Damn it, _why_ did she have to say no?

What did Satsuki tell her earlier that day? She was young enough and strong enough to change the things in her life that made her unhappy. Her relationship with Itachi – if one could even call it that – definitely didn't make her happy. It hurt like hell and repeatedly reduced her to tears.

Sakura gave a smile at Kankuro's words, though couldn't help but feel guilty.

What was she thinking, huh? She couldn't get over Itachi by using him. It was unthinkable and cruel.

"Kankuro-san, I…"

The presence of another suddenly made themselves known, making her startle when a hand came to her lower back.

Leaning forward, with his lips nearly brushing on her earlobe, he murmured to her, "Your presence has been requested by Hokage-sama."

Kankuro's eyes were wide when Sakura looked back to him and she was confused to see the knowing expression that soon took over his features.

"That answers that. I didn't know," he apologised.

Shit.

She shook her head, disagreeing. "It's _not_ like that, but…" Frowning, Sakura said, "I'll find you, if you're still here when I get back. If not, I'll write."

He looked shocked and a little confused, but thankfully didn't try to dissuade her as he instead nodded, saying, "Thanks."

Turning on her heel, she settled the other man with a glower and he responded by watching her silently. It was only when Kankuro left them alone that her green eyes narrowed. Who did he think he was? He turned her down. What right did he have to interfere like that?

"Itachi, you can't do stuff like that."

He lifted his head, gazing at her languidly.

"You know exactly what I mean." She placed her hands on her hips, showing her unhappiness. "Appearing like that after Kankuro-san's confession. Just so happening to be around." Frustration was gnawing at her, making tears fill her eyes. "I told you that my heart was yours and you didn't want it. You have _no right_ to interfere."

Silence.

That bastard!

The tears slipped down her cheeks faster than she could stop them. "I don't want to be alone all my life, Itachi."

"So you are willing to settle for somebody who is not worthy of you?"

Anger rippled through her so quickly that she saw nothing and during that time, her hand lashed out. Either he knew he deserved it, or honestly hadn't seen it coming, because the slap connected, snapping his head to the side. They both ignored the gasps of shock from the shoppers going about their day, too caught up in their disagreement – argument was too strong a word to use when one of the participants wasn't as wound up as the other, when one didn't seem all that concerned.

"How dare you," she whispered, glaring up into his eyes once he turned to face her again. "What gives you the right to decide on someone's worth? Kankuro-san is a good person and a strong shinobi, but most of all, he doesn't run away." Her voice cracked, just like the anger in her expression, leaving Sakura to feel more vulnerable than ever. "He understands my feelings."

"Understands?" repeated Itachi, his voice low. "What is there to understand? You have no feelings for him."

She shook her head. "But over time, I could develop them. Just like I developed feelings for you."

"Are you really so fickle?" he questioned.

Sakura had to look away, reminding herself of what the other Itachi used to tell her. When his heart was at risk of being hurt, he would be cruel. It didn't excuse any of his actions, but it explained them. It was enough to make her hold back her itching hand from slapping him a second time.

Finally, when she looked back to him, she frowned tiredly and her eyes stung. "What do you want from me, Itachi? You don't want me, but you don't want me to be with anyone else." Even though it made her feel pathetic, her features suddenly turned pleading. "I can't stand to be so unhappy or alone any longer, so _please_… Please make your mind up."

"Hokage-sama has requested to see us," Itachi suddenly stated. "We cannot keep him waiting any longer."

Rejection.

Yet again, he was rejecting her.

How surprising. This time, she was the one who walked away. How many times had they been there now? Too many. And she was done with his excuses, with his pathetic 'nobody understands me' bullshit. For fuck sake, she knew him better than anyone. She knew exactly what was going through that stupid head of his.

Why did he do this to her?

Sakura sensed Itachi walking behind her and the silence was deafening, even in the noisiness of the street and the numerous conversations surrounding them. To try and fight back the traitorous tears, she bit down on her lip harshly, but they still filled her eyes.

_Why did he always do this to her?_

"Sakura-"

Oh, no he fucking didn't.

"Hokage-sama has requested to see us," she snapped his words back to him.

Silence.

It stayed that way throughout their journey to the Hokage's office – something that felt thrice as long as it usually did, however she knew that that was probably because of the ache in her heart.

Around him, she felt cold and it wasn't due to the temperature being lower than it usually was. It was _him_. There was no warmth to be found from the man who had been all smiles and kindness just hours before. Now, he was stoic and closed off. Shocker.

Kushina walked by them on the way to Minato's office. She smiled at them both, though must have known why they were going to see her husband, because she didn't stop her for a chat like she usually would have. The poor woman looked exhausted, too. No doubt the meeting with the Kazekage went on forever, making her wonder how Naruto was doing, also.

"Good, you're already here. We can-"

The abrupt end of his sentence had Sakura glancing up at Minato, frowning at his look of concern.

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?"

She nodded, unable to find her voice. The feeling of dark eyes boring into the back of her head was uncomfortable until Itachi stood by her side, and then she could feel him staring at her face.

There was silence for a moment before the blond sighed and sat forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the desk. "I have a mission for you both."

Great. That was just what they needed. There was no use in arguing for the simple fact that she and Itachi had been on a team together for a long time, meaning they worked well together and knew one another, too. Their teamwork, despite their relationship, was better than great.

"I won't lie. This mission will be one of the toughest so far," Minato warned darkly. His expression was grave, the look in his blue eyes making her feel cold on the inside. "Sakura-chan, you managed to defeat the leaders of the false Akatsuki, but their followers are running havoc now that they have no-one to order them around. I need a quick and clean solution for this problem and unfortunately, there is no one better for the job than you four."

Wait… four?

At her frown, he gave a small, yet still somehow serious smile. "Two of my own personal guards will be accompanying you."

Worry had her heart-rate increasing.

His personal guards were not his ANBU squad, which she was a part of. The personal guard were the three men he trained personally to protect him, teaching them his own jutsu so that they could adjust to his fighting style, should they have to fight together. If they were coming with them, then it meant the mission was highly classified and they had to make sure it didn't trace back to Konoha. It meant it could end in such a way where they would have to use the Hokage's jutsu to return.

"Who?" Itachi asked.

"Genma and Raidō."

No!

She bit her lip, stomach in knots and it felt as though her heart was suddenly being squeezed tightly.

"_Never ignore your gut instinct,"_ Kakashi's words came back to her.

No matter what, Sakura silently vowed, Genma _was_ returning to Shizune.

History would not repeat itself.


	39. Fire Meet Gasoline

**Chapter 39**

**Fire Meet Gasoline**

* * *

It was much colder outside when they left the Hokage's office. She left alone, as Itachi had something to tell Minato that was apparently important, too important to say in front of her.

Just when Sakura was about to walk away, she sensed a presence to her left and frowning, she turned to face the person, only to wipe her face of all expression at the sight of Izumi. It was obvious she had something to say to her, because when their eyes met, she tipped her head back, silently gesturing for Sakura to move closer.

"I have to admit," Izumi stated as she leaned her side against the wall, folding her arms arrogantly over her ample chest. "I admire you, Haruno. You keep confessing how you feel for Itachi-kun, even though he keeps rejecting you."

Sakura gritted her teeth and looked away. "If you're here to gloat, Uchiha-"

"Are you deaf?" she demanded coldly. "I said _I admire you_."

Unbelievable. "Why?"

"Because even though I have known Itachi-kun for well over seventeen years now, I still haven't been able to confess my love to him."

What was this? They weren't friends, so why was Izumi talking to her like they were? Well, maybe not like they were friends, but something close to that. It put her on edge, in all honesty. Izumi was going to drop the shoe right on her head if Sakura wasn't careful.

"So, if I lose to anyone, I want it to be to you. You're someone who is capable of loving Itachi-kun unconditionally. You're capable of making him happy and that's all I really want for him."

What?

_What?_

Her mouth fell open, but no words would form. How in the hell did she respond to that bombshell? She knew the shoe would be dropped on her head.

"He's a stubborn fool with the mind of an old man," she suddenly murmured. "His heart, however… It's more fragile than you can imagine, Haruno, so don't you dare hurt him. I'll kill you."

Once again, she opened her mouth, only to snap it shut. What did she even say to that? She knew better than anyone how fragile Itachi's heart truly was, but then she supposed it was without his knowledge that she knew that. Izumi knew him from the things Itachi had told her and it… kind of made her jealous.

After all, Izumi was…

"When we return…" Sakura narrowed her eyes seriously, despite the smirk on her lips and the fact she was holding out her hand. "We're going to spar and I mean all out. The last time didn't count, Damned Uchiha."

Izumi returned the smirk and nodded once, accepting the hand with a firm grasp. "I look forward to it, Weakling Haruno."

* * *

_Impossibly long blonde hair billowed in the wind, her own off her face, as their eyes locked and hands clasped tightly, the tension bordering on unbearable as she declared Ino her rival._

* * *

Sakura allowed a small wistful smile to play on her lips. It was funny how things worked out, wasn't it?

After all, despite saying she never wanted to be in that same position, Izumi was now her rival.

* * *

"Sakura-chan." A heavy arm dropped around her shoulders, dragging her closer. "My little sister-in-law."

Sister-in-law? Green eyes were wide as she looked up at Genma, who was smirking down at her. As always, the senbon was between his teeth, rolling around and inwardly, Sakura wondered if it caused any issues with his teeth. Senbon were surprisingly strong despite how small they were – kind of like herself.

But… That comment about being his sister-in-law had her gaze drifting downwards, glancing at his hand and Sakura couldn't help but feel disheartened at the sight of the wedding ring.

She hadn't been invited.

That was all she could think about. Of course, there was happiness for the couple and she was so glad that they tied the knot, but why hadn't she been invited? Why hadn't she known about the wedding? For three years she had travelled with Shizune, meaning she'd seen the woman with Genma when they happened to coincidentally cross paths with him, meaning she'd become friends with the pair of them.

At least, that was what Sakura had thought.

"How're things going?" he asked, giving her a little wobble.

"Fine," she lied. It was startling how easily she could lie now. A few years back, lying was impossible for her as her expression never failed to give her away. "You?"

"Going with things, you know." Glancing over their shoulders in the direction of the village, he then said, "I heard you've been getting cosy with Uchiha."

Sakura didn't need to follow his gaze to know that Itachi was approaching them. It was clear enough in the change of topic, though she was unsure which one she was most uncomfortable with. Itachi's presence itself, or talking about her relationship with him.

"Just take care of yourself, Sakura," he added swiftly and pulled away, patting her on the shoulder in the process. "We all know you don't need Tsunade-sama to fight your battles."

Strangely, the words brought a smile to her lips. In their own odd way, they were comforting, as it meant despite how she felt in her darkest moments, others still believed in her strength and knew she was capable of breaking through that darkness and raising hell for any bastard-

"Genma-san, Hokage-sama has appointed you as captain for this mission," Itachi stated as he came to a halt in front of them.

Off to the side, Sakura saw Raidō tilt his head to the side, surveying them all, though he said nothing. To her, she rarely ever saw or heard him speaking, but knew that wasn't always the case. Shizune had grown up with Genma and his team and she was great friends with them all.

The senbon between his teeth shifted as he rolled it around, brown eyes drifting over them all before gazing upwards, watching the sky. In that moment, he almost passed as Shikamaru, as he seemed so laid-back and carefree. Sakura hoped, more than anything, that he was still serious on the inside.

"I see," he replied. Giving them his full attention again, Genma then said, "Guess I should pull my finger out, then."

Damn it, she couldn't help but smirk.

"We'll settle at an inn close to the hideout and go over strategies there," he said, suddenly serious. "I want to make sure everyone is at their best when we go into this battle. Sakura, I'm counting on your medical ninjutsu." With the same seriousness, she nodded. "How are your reserves?"

How much did he know about her abilities? Had Shizune informed him about her jutsu and what she was capable of? "Close to full. I can fight with you, too."

Genma smirked at that. "I know you can. I wouldn't expect any less from one of Tsunade-sama's students." Speaking to Itachi, he said, "Should anything happen, you are to take charge, Uchiha. We'll also be relying heavily on your eyes for this mission."

He nodded once. "Understood."

Sakura looked up at the stoic man. How were his eyes? Since he didn't have the mangekyō, did it mean he was able to avoid losing his eyesight, or was that still a possibility? Was he ever in pain from his sharingan? It made her stomach twist at the thought of him being in pain. No matter what he did to her or how much he hurt her, she just couldn't stand the thought of him hurting. Was it weak of her?

Sensing her gaze, Itachi glanced down at her, but not a single muscle on his face twitched, making it impossible for her to read him – not that she could in the first place. It was always her making guesses at how he was feeling. Nothing more than a gamble. Sometimes she lost the gamble, but when she won it, she was ecstatic.

"Raidō," Genma recaptured her attention as he spoke to his teammate. "I know I don't have to go into detail about what I want you to do."

Nodding, Raidō responded with, "Pick up your slack."

The brunet snorted. "One more thing: everyone on this team will be walking back into Konoha." His gaze was hard, grim and it made that awful feeling in her gut return. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a beautiful woman waiting at home for me, so I don't want to keep her waiting too long."

Yes, he did and he was definitely going to return to her.

* * *

Sakura came to the decision that she liked Genma being her captain. While he could be serious at times, he still made them all feel at ease – even Itachi and that was saying something. The guy was so calm and collected and even though they were on their way to put an end to the fake Akatsuki, meaning anywhere from a few deaths to a total bloodbath, she couldn't help but feel at peace, too.

It was a shame he had awful taste.

The inn he chose was, to be blunt, a dump. According to him, it was in an ideal location and it was inconspicuous. All Sakura knew was that she was sleeping on top of the covers with her clothes and her shoes on. Even the shower looked as though it was riddled with diseases and she was frightened about what she may find if she lifted the toilet seat.

They would be regrouping in an hour, giving everyone the chance to settle in and try to come up with strategies. It was a new way to approach a mission, she'd admit that. Usually, the captain decided what and how they would be tackling their mission and the rest followed without hesitation. Genma, on the other hand, wanted to hear their ideas and take them on board, so that they would all feel as comfortable as possible with such a heavy mission.

Warily lowering her pack onto the dusty dresser, Sakura looked around the room with a critical eye. It made her skin crawl knowing she'd be sleeping there and she felt as though she was inhaling more than dust. Fear for her health beat her concern about remaining unnoticed hands down and without a second thought, she flung the window open, inwardly wincing when one of the hinges gave out, leaving the window hanging precariously. In a pitiful attempt of rectifying the situation, Sakura reached out for it, though had no idea how to fix-

"Breaking things already?"

The voice startled her, nearly causing her to rip the damn thing off completely. She spun on her heel with a growl, about to snap at him that he had no right to just waltz into her room, where she could be changing or doing something feminine… like painting her nails.

But the smile on his lips had Sakura faltering in her anger, had her losing all her frustration.

Damn it, he was so beautiful.

"How did you get in here?" Instead of it being an annoyed demand, it sounded quiet and meek. Breathless, even.

Leaning back against the wall and folding his arms over his chest, Itachi tilted his head to the side, tipping his chin slightly in the direction of the door. "You left it ajar."

It was with a sigh that she set back to her previous task of rooting through her pack, brushing her hair behind her ear as she returned to the dresser and carefully and slowly emptied the contents of her backpack onto it.

"Is there a reason why you're here?"

Sakura certainly wasn't regretting slapping him, although she _did_ feel slightly awkward as it hung in the air. There wasn't any bruising (slapping him hard enough to cause immediate bruising would have sent the guy flying and, while surrounded by defenceless civilians, that wasn't the smartest idea – no matter how impulsively she'd acted, she would never put them at risk), but there _had_ been a hand print throughout the meeting with Minato, one that caught his attention several times.

"I…" His loss of words had Sakura glancing over her shoulder at him, but the intensity of his stare had her looking away just as quickly. "I should not have gotten angry with you earlier."

Rolling her eyes and going back to her task, she replied distractedly, "I'm getting tired of hearing meaningless apologies."

"Meaningless?" he repeated, like it was absurd. "You think my apologies are meaningless?"

"_Obviously_." Turning to face him, Sakura leaned back against the dresser, though stood up straight when it creaked warningly. A strong gust of wind could probably break it, so who knows what her weight would do to it. "If they truly meant anything, you wouldn't keep saying you're sorry. You'd have nothing to be sorry for."

His dark eyes were still staring at her intently, as though he was trying to understand everything about her and the way her mind worked. It made her wonder if she was just as confusing to him as he was to her, but dismissed the ridiculous thought instantly. What about her was a mystery? What couldn't be understood? She was like an open book and wore her heart on her sleeve for all to see.

Or, at least… she used to.

Disturbed by the thought, she copied his stance and folded her arms over her chest, quickly continuing with her assault to try and forget about her latest discovery. "It seems most of our conversations nowadays are of you apologising to me for one thing or another."

"That is because I admit I am wrong," he said.

Why did he have to be so goddamn frustrating? "Then stop being wrong."

Very faintly, his brows twitched at her raised voice, but she was too angered to take notice, or to wonder whether he had a headache or if the sudden loudness of her voice took him by surprise.

"I believe it was you who once told me that I am only human," Itachi reminded her, his voice considerably quieter than her own. Was that an indication for her to keep her volume down? "Everyone makes mistakes."

It was only a small room to begin with, but as always, the Uchiha's domineering presence made it seem twice as small, made her feel almost claustrophobic in the small space.

The cream walls that were stained at the very top from previous inhabitants of the room, who were obviously smokers, had her cringing on the inside, had her questioning why the owners of the inn wouldn't paint it a colour that would mask the signs of smokers, if they allowed them to smoke inside the rooms. And the dark brown carpet had various stains marring the rough looking shaggy fur. It would have been great to sink her toes into it, had it not been in such a seedy place. It was a complete mystery what had gone on, on the carpet, or what the stains were.

"People usually learn from their mistakes," Sakura countered, more quietly this time as her vulnerability was revealed through her words. "You, on the other hand, keep hurting me time and time again."

Dark eyes dropped to her hands, which were gripping a tight hold of each arm to try and stop herself from fidgeting nervously. Whenever she put it out there, whenever she opened her heart to him, Itachi always responded in the worst possible way and broke her heart all over again. Opening up to him now always caused her to break out in a nervous sweat, always made her heart beat faster than what was considered healthy. Anxiety, Sakura noted.

"I'm trying-"

"No, you're not," she couldn't help but yell at him, frustration taking over. "That's just the point, Itachi – you won't try." The grip on her arms was hurting by now, however releasing her death grip would leave her hands free and there was no telling what she would do. "There's something between us, but you won't try."

This time, it was clear he had a headache and the squint had her sighing, all anger dissipating at the sight of his pain. Tiredly, she sat down on the bed and patted her folded legs once. Much to her relief, as she certainly didn't have the energy to argue with him about it, Itachi followed her wordless order of joining her, resting his head in her lap and shutting his eyes.

It worried Sakura how he immediately sighed with relief as her healing chakra set to work, but what worried her more was the great strain behind his eyes.

"Idiot," she murmured. "Please take better care of yourself, Itachi."

"I'm trying," he repeated his words.

Shaking her head with annoyance, she decided it was more important relieving him of the agony he was in than arguing with him. As expected of a man who relied so heavily on his eyes, he had strained them, but because of his sharingan, it made him more sensitive to strained eyes than the average person. It was like a huge ball of tension behind each eye that would throb something vicious, leaving weaker men to stay inside of a dark room until the pain subsided. Honestly! She tsked with annoyance at the fact he would easily accept a highly dangerous mission despite being in agony. Trying to hide it from her was just as annoying.

"How is your dad doing?" Sakura asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Better." A pause. "He has adjusted to blindness fairly well now and can manoeuvre around the house without assistance. He still refuses to leave the house, however."

Still, that was great progress for a man who refused to speak with his own children for over a whole month after the incident. "It was really good of you to step up for him," she told him.

"It has eased the burden on his shoulders," he replied, like it was no big deal at all. To him, it probably wasn't. "Now that he knows the clan is in capable hands, he has more time to focus on his recovery."

The lifting of his headache had Itachi relaxing into the bed, had him breathing out a large sigh. He was like putty in her hands, but it didn't give her any satisfaction or pleasure. It made her worry about how much of a strain ruling a clan like the Uchiha truly was. Did he try to pretend like it was no big deal? Was he struggling really?

"Why do you think Hokage-sama gave you this mission?" she asked, unable to think of any other way to keep the conversation going. Awkward silences weren't exactly her number one hate, but they were pretty high up on the list. "I mean… You're patriarch now. I think the elders of your clan would have something to say about you going on a highly dangerous mission."

There was another sigh, but even as her healing chakra was gently extracted from his eyes and her hands left his face, falling to the bed on each side of him, Itachi didn't move. She didn't want him to. It was a rare moment between them, a moment that was almost… intimate. No, it wasn't romantic, but they felt close – like they hadn't just been arguing and angry at one another.

"They won't be pleased," came his quiet agreement. His voice was smooth, though expressed his exhaustion without even trying. "They have even asked that I take on a team of students to prevent situations such as this."

Seriously? So it hadn't only been herself? Frowning, Sakura told him, "Hokage-sama asked me to take on students, too."

Finally, dark eyes opened and as their eyes met, he also frowned. It seemed to be troubling him just as much as it was her. "What did you say?"

"No." Breathing in deeply to try and smother the annoyance she felt at simply remembering the look of disappointment on Minato's face, Sakura glanced out of the window. There wasn't much to be seen other than a plain expanse of dirt road. "They're just kids and I don't think…"

"That you can protect them."

She nodded.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," he reminded her. "If you are really against taking on a team of students, then don't do it, but remember that Hokage-sama wouldn't entrust you with a group of children if he didn't believe that you could protect them." A soft smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "I have seen your determination to protect your team, no matter how temporary that team is, so I know you are more than capable of protecting students."

The smile was infectious when she looked back to Itachi, even though her own was no bigger than his.

Why did it feel so natural? Why did it feel like she belonged there with him? Not necessarily in that shitty room, but there with his head on her lap and her hand slowly coming up to the side of his face, tenderly brushing his bangs behind his ears. Itachi didn't stop her, either. He looked just as at peace as she felt. Why did he keep fighting her, then? It was obvious he felt the same way.

"You're still young," he added after a few moments. "You don't have to make this decision overnight."

It eased the earlier panic from her chest somewhat. Why had she been so freaked out about taking on students? Why had she acted like it was the end of the world? A decision that she had to make in a split second?

"What about you?" she asked. "Were those genin yours?"

Gently, he shook his head. "They are Uchiha that were recently made genin and were asking me for advice on how to better themselves."

It warmed her heart how people went to him for advice, because she knew how big a deal it was for him. Even if he wouldn't admit it, Itachi also felt the need to interact with others, to help them and protect them.

"Would you?" Sakura's voice was quiet, soft. "Take on students?"

Itachi's eyes met hers once more, the tenderness in his gaze taking her breath away. Did he even know that he had that kind of effect on her? Did he know that just a single look – a look he probably didn't even know he was giving her – made her weak at the knees, made her heart beat faster, made her breathe shakily?

"Perhaps in the future," came his honest reply. "Right now, I don't feel as though I will influence them in the most positive way."

The fact that she wasn't the only one who felt that way was comforting. Sakura hadn't even realised she felt lonely until Itachi said those words, until he unknowingly made it known that she wasn't alone in feeling like… like poison.

Was that why he wouldn't be with her?

It was suddenly difficult looking him in the eye as a soft frown graced her features. "Itachi, that thing with Kankuro-san wasn't what it looked like."

Much to her relief, he didn't immediately pull away or sigh with annoyance. Instead, he said quietly, "I was wrong to interfere either way. I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know I am deeply sorry."

Breathing out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumped, forehead almost touching his. "Just admit that you have feelings for me."

"Sakura…"

She opened her eyes to find that Itachi's were already on her, his gaze soft, yet just as tired as she felt inside and his hand came up and ran through her hair, bringing her down until their foreheads bumped. The tension made not only her stomach twist, but her heart was palpitating, too. They were too close and with him pulling her closer like that…

Tears stung her eyes and in response, she squeezed them shut. "I _know_ you feel something. You wouldn't have acted the way you did when Kankuro-san asked me out if you didn't have feelings for me."

The hold on her hair tightened, though not enough to cause discomfort. It was more like he was keeping her there, like an anchor, of sorts. "Of course I feel something for you." The way Itachi said it made it sound painfully obvious, like only an idiot would think differently. "There is no use in denying it when I feel sick to my stomach whenever I hurt you, or whenever I see another hurt you."

Sakura gritted her teeth, swallowing back her sob. Despite him not saying much, the words meant everything to her – and that was what was upsetting her the most. It shouldn't be breaking her heart to hear him saying those things, but it was, because she knew that a 'but' was coming and she wasn't sure her heart could take any more breaking.

"But?" she whispered brokenly, voice cracking with the strain of holding back the tears and sob.

Slowly, like the moment would shatter if he moved too quickly, Itachi pulled away and sat up in front of her, hands coming to her face. Still, she couldn't look at him. The pain was too much as it was.

"But you have no idea how dark my world is, Sakura." At her grimace, he continued, "I am not using it as an excuse – I'm saying it because I don't want you to be brought down by it. Some days…" Once again, his forehead bumped against hers and it stunned her when Itachi breathed out a shuddering sigh. "Some days, it feels as though I cannot breathe. As patriarch, I am shouldering the problems of every Uchiha, from petty issues to major issues and I am expected to fix every single one of them. On top of that, I'm Konoha's Uchiha Itachi and a lot is expected of me and if it is not the clan who needs me, then it is Konoha." He took a breath, like he was attempting to smother a panic she had no idea even existed. "Being who I am, I don't have breaks. In fact, the longest break I have is six hours a night when I am sleeping."

Warily, she opened her eyes and was completely blown away by the wet trail running down his cheek.

It truly was getting to him, wasn't it?

Sakura's heart ached for Itachi like it never had before. Yes, the other Itachi had been to hell and back several times and the world and everyone in it had fucked him over more times than she could count, but… _This_ Itachi's pain hurt her more. There was no comparing the two men's pain – it was impossible and unfair, as they both suffered through different experiences – but that was how she felt.

Was it because she was in love with this Itachi?

"You are doing incredibly well," he continued after a brief pause. "You have long surpassed my expectations of you and I am proud to call you a comrade, a friend. However, to bring you into the chaos that is my life as a love interest will be unfair to you."

Obviously, she tried to argue, saying, "I don't mind."

"_I_ do." Itachi's eyes held an immense pain, like it was taking everything inside of him to keep denying her and it made her stomach flutter with hope. "If anything was to happen, I am the kind of man who wishes to commit fully to the relationship. At the moment, I am unable to do that. I won't even be able to spend time with you."

But he _did_ have feelings for her.

_This was not a step back!_

A soft smile pulled on her lips and she reached up, wiping his cheeks gently, brushing the tears away. It made her happy that he was comfortable opening his heart in front of her, that he could cry and know he could trust her with seeing that vulnerable side of him. It meant a lot.

"Thank you," Sakura murmured, still smiling. "But I'm a big girl, Itachi. I know how hectic things can get and I know how difficult it is to find downtime. Just…" It was instinctual getting closer to him, shifting until she was on her knees and leaning over him, hands tugging at the back of his head to bring him to her. "Just give 'us' a try. Just one date."

There was yet another nervous flutter in her stomach when he brushed his nose against hers, dark eyes slipping shut and suddenly, her throat felt dry as he grabbed her waist.

"Please?" she whispered.

"I-"

Much to her annoyance, there was a knock on her door, interrupting them and destroying the mood and Sakura couldn't help but despair. It was so rare for them to have a moment and when it happened… They were always interrupted.

"This is exactly what I am trying to tell you," he said quietly, keeping his voice low so that the person on the other side of the door wouldn't hear them. Sighing, Itachi pulled away, though before he stood up to leave, he melted her heart just a little by kissing her forehead sweetly. "We will never have a moment alone."

Sakura followed him to the door. "Never is too strong a word."

He smiled at her persistence, even though she certainly didn't feel like they had anything to smile about.

Speaking of persistence…

At the next knock, she couldn't help but snap, "One minute!"

Tilting his head to the side in a way she was seriously beginning to think was adorable, Itachi asked her, "Is rarely more appropriate?"

Okay, so maybe there _was_ a tiny – a very, very tiny – reason to smile. "Maybe."

"_Sakura-chan,"_ Genma's voice sang her name through the door, half teasingly and the other half warning. "_As both Kakashi's and Tsunade-sama's student, I'm sure you know better than to snap at your captain that way."_

Damn it.

They truly did have no time.

But just as Itachi reached for the door handle to leave, she grabbed the extended hand and yanked him closer, other hand quickly finding the collar of his flak jacket to pull him down to her height and before he could fight it, she was kissing him, heart soaring when he immediately responded with equal amounts of pressure and desperation, tugging on her waist to try and get as close as they possibly could.

"_I know you're in there with Uchiha, but we're on a mission and-"_

Sakura was the one who ended the kiss, glaring in the direction of the door. "I'm in the middle of a healing session, jackass! Stop breaking my concentration."

Against her cheek, she felt Itachi's lips quirk into a smile.

Well, it wasn't exactly untrue, was it? She _was_ working on him, just not physically.

"Perhaps we can talk about this in more depth once we return," he said softly.

Dangerous hope bloomed in her chest and she nodded quickly, brushing her hair behind her ear. There was no shyness about how forward she'd appeared by dragging and kissing him so suddenly. It didn't matter either way because she was worming her way into his life and she had absolutely no intention of leaving.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Genma asked Itachi, looking up at him with an almost bored expression. Had he bought her lie of healing him?

"Better," came his honest reply. "If we are relying heavily on my eyes, I simply wanted to make sure there would be no issues. Sakura healed any minor damage she found."

"That so?"

The older man went back to sharpening his kunai on the round wooden table in his room, a room that looked even seedier than her own. There were two piles – one sharpened, one unsharpened.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura sat herself down on the foot of the twin bed. "We just took a precaution to ensure everything runs smoothly." Showing her boredom, she inspected her nails, pouting minutely at the chips in the green paint. "It's something I do for Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun, or anyone on my team with special eyes, whether it's the sharingan or the byakugan."

"That may be so, but there's some strange tension going on between you and Uchiha," Genma commented with a knowing smirk.

"Oh?" she continued in the same bored voice, glancing up at Itachi to find that he seemed just as uncaring as herself. That was good, however. Should it become obvious to others (their rocky relationship, the tension or the upset it caused), it would mean they would never work together again. Keeping it on the down low was important. "That noticeable?"

"Just don't let it affect the teamwork," he warned. "If it has any kind of negative impact on the mission or our team, I'll have no choice but to inform Hokage-sama. Is that understood?"

"Understood," they said in unison.

It was with that, that they got down to business. Sakura remained seated on the end of Genma's bed, watching her temporary team as they prepared themselves in as many ways as possible for the fast approaching deadly match of a sadistic royal rumble.

There was no telling how many were left of the false Akatsuki, nor did they know what any of them were capable of. Did they have any bloodline limits? What rank were they? It was almost always quality over quantity, but in such dire circumstances like this, it was the other way around (unless you were the seriously way overpowered Uchiha Madara, from what she'd seen of Itachi's memories).

"Hokage-sama only sent the four of us because of our abilities," Genma explained, gazing seriously around the room. "Hell, he would have sent more, had they not already been out of the village or guarding him."

Shit, that was right. The Kazekage was still there and now that they had the threat of other villages attacking them looming over their heads, Minato had his hands tied on who to send out and who to keep close to him. It was like a game of shogi. An example of that was keeping Tsunade in the village, a woman who could heal hundreds at a time, which was extremely important, but so was sending Sakura out as she had the exact same abilities, though was trained to use more than her strength in assassinations. At the bloody end of it all, they had to make damn sure it never traced back to Konoha and that was exactly what Sakura was trained to do.

Though, saying that, she couldn't help but wonder why Minato couldn't spare an extra squad or two. Yes, it was best to keep the teams small in order to successfully complete a mission such as this (bigger numbers meant more chance of being spotted and then the whole mission was foiled – not to mention it came back to Konoha if a single one of them was spotted by someone who was hidden from them), however, they were blind. For all they knew, Uchiha Madara could have been revived and working behind the scenes.

Again… Her green eyes drifted over to Itachi. With the right kind of push, she knew those eyes of his would transform into something a hundred times as powerful as what they were now. The only reason Shisui wasn't in his place was because Minato needed that mangekyō _in_ the village, should things turn south with the Kazekage. It all looked fine on the surface, sure, but it was scary how quickly things could turn sour.

As for Raidō, while he didn't appear as anything flash or magnificent, there was a reason why he was on Minato's personal guard, not to mention he was known as one of the deadliest assassins Konoha had to offer. Oh, she'd heard the rumours, all right. However, none of them were ever confirmed nor denied, instead forever remaining as rumours since nobody ever lived to tell the tale. They merely heard about it from those on his teams.

Genma, on the other hand, was highly regarded in Kakashi's book and that alone was enough for her to be confident in the man's skills (that and the fact Tsunade would have broken Genma's back while whipping him into shape for their beloved Shizune). If the infamous Copy-Nin, someone who very rarely praised anyone, respected Genma and relied on his abilities, then that, to her, meant she could also rely on him.

And then that left her. A woman who looked like she still had a hell of a lot of growing up to do, but could snap a man thrice her size in half without breaking a sweat. A woman who couldn't die in battle. A woman who could heal hundreds at a time and _still_ fight on the front line.

But she still couldn't shake that sharp twisting in her gut that something bad was going to happen, that they weren't all going to make it home. It didn't matter how great they were – there were too many what ifs for her liking.

Since she wasn't wearing her ANBU uniform, Sakura didn't have to bother disguising herself with a henge. It felt odd, as it was something she'd been doing for so long now and to _not_ do it, felt like she was missing something huge.

Itachi took the lead, using his sharingan to watch out for attacks and she brought up the rear. Being a medic-nin, she was trained to always be aware of her surroundings, to always be one step ahead in order to dodge every attack. It was something Tsunade had more or less drilled into her head.

"It's up ahead," Itachi warned much sooner than she'd anticipated.

"Can you tell how many are there?" Raidō asked.

"No."

The sharingan wasn't able to see far ahead like the Byakugan could, but it could pick up on movement and chakra, which was probably how Itachi was sensing them – that or he could sense their chakra.

Either way, they reached them way too soon for her liking and while they had a few strategies, not a single one of them predicted just how many would be there – it seemed more like an army. It truly terrified her, because by now the twisting in her gut nearly made her immobile. Instead of expecting there to be ten, maybe twenty rogue-nin, there was easily one hundred, if not more.

"_If you're ever outnumbered, remember just one thing, Sakura,"_ Tsunade's teaching ran through her mind. "_Always keep moving. Don't stay in one place for longer than a second unless you're healing someone."_

"They know we're here," Genma muttered under his breath as they came to a standstill in the cover of the trees.

They remained hidden, but as Sakura focused on the army, she could tell that they were found out. The fake Akatsuki were all alert and staring straight at them, even though they were hidden.

"They have a sensory type," Raidō stated the obvious.

Shit.

_Shit!_

Her heart was in her throat, eyes wide and palms sweating. Despite all the highly dangerous missions in ANBU, she was never faced with such… Damn it! They had to make it home, not only for their families, but also because Itachi was finally willing to accept that there was a 'them'.

_It couldn't end like this!_

"If we confront them as we are, we run the risk of dying," Genma said bluntly. "But there is also the chance that we could take them by surprise."

"They won't expect much because of how outnumbered we are," she murmured.

"Exactly."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, still assessing the enemy. "We are all in the Bingo Book. Even rogue-nin have access to them."

He was rarely ever wrong and it made Sakura side with him in a heartbeat. What they needed to do was retreat and request backup, but she also knew that they couldn't leave now that they'd been spotted by a sensory type. They could be tracked straight back to Konoha.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice," Genma stood up straight and sighed, stretching out his limbs. "We're gonna have to confront them head on."

Worried green eyes met red and black and with that single look, her resolve hardened, fighting away her fear as she also stood up straight, giving away her hiding spot.

They were definitely returning! He owed her a date.

Without sparing any time to think twice about their new plan, they left their cover in the trees.

And it was then that the fake Akatsuki attacked, not even giving them the chance to try and converse with them.

And…

Strong arms wrapped around her and the world spun as they tumbled out of the line of fire, his weight almost crushing her, but what hurt even more…

It was… It was the same attack that had killed Ino.

And now he was…

Her heart stopped as two bodies fell motionlessly to the ground.


	40. I Won't Let Go, I'll Be Right Here

**Chapter 40**

**I Won't Let Go, I'll Be Right Here**

* * *

Her head bounced off the hard ground, momentarily blurring her vision, but even then it was impossible to un-see the horrific sight of her two comrades collapsing face first into pools of their own blood.

And in a pause the length of a heartbeat, she struggled against the man who'd saved her, crying out, "_No!"_

How could this…?

"Calm yourself, Sakura," a warning voice spoke lowly into her ear. "We must continue to fight or else we will die, too."

But, how could she fight when…?

Watery eyes drifted up to swirling red and black eyes above her. "But he… he has Shizune-senpai at home and… _Itachi_, they're both…!"

Itachi nodded, expression one of empathy, but also desperation. "I need you to fight your hardest, Sakura." At her continued grief, his hand came up to her face, eyes widening as he demanded, "Do it for me, Sakura. Fight your hardest for me and make it home."

Weakly, she nodded, though couldn't help but wonder how in the hell she was going to summon any strength when it felt as though she couldn't even breathe. The panic was overwhelming, slowly smothering her.

But… Itachi needed her to fight. He needed her.

And damn it, she could never let him down.

It was that single thought that her resolve hardened, that she fought through the haze of grief. Above all else, she had to erase the evidence of their being there as well as keep their secrets hidden, meaning she had to destroy the two men's bodies. The fact that Genma and Raidō were the Hokage's personal guard, that they knew his most forbidden and secret jutsu, made it twice as important to destroy their bodies.

"Create an opening," Sakura murmured as Itachi pulled them both to their feet. "I'll take care of them."

Up until that moment, it seemed the enemy thought she and Itachi had died, because as soon as they stood up again, they were all alert and falling into fighting stances, clearly knowing not to underestimate either of them. The sight of Itachi's eyes had them halting in an immediate attack, but there was also a few that faltered at the colour of her hair and the diamond shaped seal on her forehead.

A single man stood in front of the false Akatsuki with his back to the rogue-nin and his piercing blue eyes filled Sakura was an awful feeling of déjà vu, like she'd seen them before. It was difficult trying to think of where she'd seen those eyes before while facing an army of hundreds.

"You have no idea how long I have waited for this moment," the man spoke calmly.

She saw Itachi look down at her, silently questioning Sakura's connection with the man, but she honestly couldn't answer those questions, as she didn't know, either. It was just as much a mystery to her as it was him.

But the _blueness_ of them…

Deidara's eyes, maybe?

It didn't seem possible, not with the ash blonde hair that could almost pass as brown, although there was a minute resemblance in the way the man had it scraped back and up into a high ponytail.

"Now, I will finally have my vengeance," he muttered darkly and with a single hand gesture, his army began charging towards them.

_Vengeance?_

There was no time to think about it as she followed Itachi's lead in meeting them head on, but as they grew closer to the two motionless bodies that were laying in pools of their own blood, rogue-nin appeared from underground. The only reason she knew to leap into the air was because of Itachi's eyes, which instantly shot downwards. That look alone told her all she needed to know and as he dispatched of them, she tried to find her opening.

The rogue-nin would reach Genma and Raidō first at the rate they were going. There was no telling how many were underground, waiting for them and Sakura wasn't given the chance to come up with a strategy as she lifted her arms to protect her face and neck, just in time for somebody to come down on her from above, their fist drawing back before snapping forward.

They were strong, she noted.

But they had nothing on her strength.

At their second punch, she caught their fist, enclosing her hand over it and at the man's scowl, she smirked. Stupid men. They always underestimated a pretty face.

"_This_ is how you throw a punch," she taunted.

A second later and her left fist was slamming into his chest, ripping the fist from her hand as he crash-landed back to the ground, leaving a crater the size of his body surrounding him. He would not be getting back up.

Delicately, she landed on her feet, ducking beneath a katana that threatened to decapitate her and then jumping over a foot trying to knock her legs out from beneath her. There was no time to check on Itachi – no point, either, as she knew he would be doing well in holding his own.

Another lunged at her as she finished off the woman with the katana and _very_ vaguely, it bothered Sakura that she didn't register a single one of their faces. It was all a blur to her as she dispatched of one after another. These people possibly had families – parents worrying about their safety, or children praying that they would finally come home – yet she didn't think to look at their faces or their appearances. It made what had to be done so much easier. Thinking of her enemies as though they weren't even human, like they were worms beneath her feet, made killing them so much easier.

Leaning back until her hands touched the ground and her back was in a perfect arch, she dodged another katana and during the attack, she countered with a strong kick to the guy's jaw, flipping herself backwards and back onto her feet, where she quickly ended several others with powerful punches that ruptured all their internal organs.

There was a brief break where she was able to look around and she did so desperately, green eyes widening as she caught sight of Genma and Raidō. The enemy had them and was already beginning hand signs, no doubt to secure their bodies and get away with them and just the sight alone had her growing angry, especially as she was stopped by more shinobi surrounding her the second she began darting over to them.

She made several hand signs.

"You're in my way," Sakura snarled as a large wall of water erupted around her and slammed into her enemies.

As the water died down, washing the rogue-nin away, Itachi appeared in front of her and rushed forward, creating the opening she needed to get to Genma and Raidō, even going as far as tackling the man who was halfway through his hand signs, knocking him away from the two bodies.

She fell to her knees between them, already fearing the worst but also hoping for some kind of miracle.

But… she was too late.

Genma was sprawled out on the grass, with blood oozing from his chest and the senbon that usually lived in his mouth was nowhere to be seen, though on closer inspection, Sakura could see that it had lodged itself into the back of his throat. His brown eyes – eyes that had been playful and teasing only hours before – stared sightlessly up at the darkening sky after she turned him over.

What broke her heart the most, however, was the sight of his wedding ring.

Slowly, she reached out, taking his hand and removing the ring, slipping it into her pouch. Since he was Minato's guard and he knew the Hokage's jutsu, they had to… His body… Raidō's body, too…

Once her hands were free they flew through the signs, knowing that they didn't have much time to spare. Itachi continued to kill anyone who got too close to her, but she knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever, not when they were against hundreds. It was a miracle she had long enough to acknowledge their deaths.

However, just as her hand moved to touch them-

_A heartbeat!_

Stubborn bastards!

Despite her thoughts, she couldn't help but feel overwhelming relief for her sibling disciple, as losing the love of your life was a pain nobody should have to feel. To add losing a childhood friend to that also, was unimaginable.

She could-

Someone slipped through Itachi's defence while he was preoccupied with a more troublesome opponent and green eyes went wide as she sensed they were about to attack. Pure instinct had her leaning over Genma's body, covering it with her own and she barely held back a cry of pain as a katana sliced cleanly into her back. However, there wasn't any time to focus on her agony, because it came down on her again. And again. And again until she heard the sound of somebody else being impaled.

"Sakura," Itachi yelled, kicking away his opponent and dashing over to her. It took him a handful of seconds to dispatch of the bastard who had attacked her.

But just as he reached out for her, she shook her head, pushing him away. "This… is nothing."

"Your wounds are deep," he argued, already back on his feet and standing over them all protectively. "Destroy their bodies and heal yourself-"

"They're alive," she snapped. "I don't know how, but they…" It was difficult breathing, let alone arguing, and it informed her that her lung – perhaps both of them – had been punctured. "Just buy me… a few seconds."

Itachi nodded once, not arguing and as he darted back into the action, Sakura made quick work of going through several hand signs, using the blood pouring from her side to summon the one she knew she could rely on to protect the two men.

And suddenly, the three of them were way up into the sky by at least two hundred feet, easily towering over everybody else.

"Katsuyu-sama!"

"Yes, Sakura-chan," the slug said loyally, already understanding what was being asked of her. They were linked through the contract between them, after all. "Please attach a part of me to your other teammate and yourself."

Nodding, Sakura held her breath as the humongous slug disappeared from beneath her, but before she could fall to the ground from so high up, she was caught by a much smaller, but still fairly large Katsuyu. Two of her bodies were large enough to completely cover the two men's bodies, whereas another two parts were small enough to be carried on their shoulders. However, since there was no need to divide herself so many times, the rest of her had disappeared, and Sakura guessed that it was back in Katsuyu's own world.

As soon as Katsuyu was attached to her shoulder, the slug began healing her, first stopping the bleeding and then healing the internal damage. It left Sakura free to continue fighting – something she immediately resumed as she noticed Itachi being outnumbered and possibly overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. Even though they were both dispatching a great deal of them, it continued to feel as though the onslaught was never-ending. When they killed one person, another four took their place.

However, she could…

A punch to the face knocked her out of her fear and panic, allowing rage to take over and with that rage, she lashed out, taking down as many of them as possible.

Fist to the jaw. Kick to the groin. Elbow to the throat. Knee to the gut. Grab. Kick. Duck. Dodge. Strike. Dodge. Counterattack.

Never staying in one place for more than a second, Sakura moved onto the next opponent and like the others, she was done with them in a single strike.

A katana came down on her from above, but she bent her knees and tilted her head to the side, repeating the motion when the guy tried to slice at her again, but on his third attempt, she spun on her heel, raising the other leg and landing a devastating kick to the chest. He was dead before he even hit the ground.

There was a short break between attacks and using that time, she threw the small version of Katsuyu through the air, yelling out to Itachi, "Catch!"

He caught her without hesitation, nodding his thanks over at Sakura while murmuring a vocal thanks to Katsuyu as he placed her on his shoulder, hiding her beneath the large collar of his shirt. It looked as though he had lost his flak jacket somewhere, leaving him in his usual shirt with the clan's symbol on the back. Even that was beginning to look ragged.

Something was off, she quickly noted. The break was lasting too long.

_Why was nobody attacking her?_

They avoided attacking her, instead going straight for Itachi and with narrowed eyes, Sakura looked around, but then found out why as they fell on the guy standing across from her and she wiped the blood from her busted lip. She was going to be fighting the boss, then.

This one… was the one who took down both Genma and Raidō in one go and it seemed, from the way he was glaring at her, that he had a personal vendetta against her. It didn't confuse her. After all she'd been a part of in ANBU, it was bound to leave her with a few enemies. _However_, the fact that he could use the exact same jutsu that killed Ino set Sakura on edge and _those eyes!_ It made her-

"You killed him," the man spat with venom.

Realisation took her breath away.

* * *

_The sound of laughter had everyone except for Sakura tensing, but it had them all turning towards the two rogue-nin, watching as they laughed at their grief and sorrow, as they laughed at their heartbreak._

_It just couldn't be helped._

_Sakura's mind was still blank as she shoved Naruto away from herself, as she darted towards the rogue-nin. They ran to meet her head on, but she stunned them all as she came to a sudden halt and slammed her fist into the ground and caused it to shake violently. It threw Dei and Hisashi off their feet long enough for her to launch several kunai at the latter, but it wasn't until Sasuke came down on him with lightning engulfing his katana that the man fell to the ground._

_He didn't get back up._

_Just as the Uchiha turned to face her, to demand what the hell she was doing, she used her small frame to run around him._

_The sight of Dei made her blood boil._

_Him._

_Her best friend was dead because of him._

_It was clear to Sakura as her foot connected with his leg, easily snapping it, that Dei was not as great a fighter as Hisashi was. Fast, maybe, but he was definitely not strong and when he was not given the time to prepare or use any jutsu, he was more or less harmless. More than likely, he was the brains and Hisashi was the brute force. That was why they'd gotten so far as rogue-nin, but now that the muscle was dead, the brain was useless. Sakura's eyes were cold and her features were set into a grim, determined mask as she watched Dei try to stand, as she watched him yell in agony. However, when she clenched her fist and tugged on her glove, her hands shook and murderous rage filled her, almost exploding out of her._

_"Sakura-chan, don't–"_

_But she ignored Naruto. She ignored the others._

_And then she was slamming her fist into the man's chest, unleashing her unforgiving rage and the destruction caused was devastating._

_She didn't even blink._

* * *

Just as it had that day, Sakura's blood boiled.

Hatred was a vicious circle – when one person got their revenge, the receiver of said revenge became the vengeful one, or somebody who cared for them did. It was a never-ending cycle. Once she got her revenge for Ino's death, killing the beast that had killed her, it seemed as though the man standing before her took it upon himself to enact vengeance for Dei's death. And while she was in no way big-headed, Sakura knew there would be people demanding vengeance for her own death. The cycle would never end.

"You're a relation of Dei's, I take it?" Sakura asked in a bored drawl. On the inside, she was a wreck of emotions, however, she knew she couldn't let it show. It would give the bastard an advantage.

"Dei was my brother," he snarled.

"And Ino was my family," she replied coldly. "But that didn't stop him from killing her right in front of me."

His blue eyes hardened, completely unfazed by her words. "Then just as you got your revenge, I will get mine."

Sighing as though it was all a nuisance to her (now that she could actually take a few minutes for a breather, since nobody else was attacking), Sakura tugged on her gloves in the exact same way as _that day_, when she'd been stood over Dei's broken body before finishing him off.

"Before I get rid of you," she murmured, "how about you fill me in on how you joined this organisation?"

"Get rid of me?" he scoffed.

Neither of them flinched from an explosion that sounded from behind her and Sakura ignored her hair as it threatened to obscure her view. The man opposite her, now that she knew who he was, _did_ look an awful lot like Dei – the pair of them could blend in with the Yamanaka Clan effortlessly with their looks alone, however adding their telepathic abilities…

The reminder of how dangerous Dei had been with his mind had Sakura growing serious once more. She couldn't underestimate Dei's brother. There was every possibility that he was even stronger.

"Dei was a rogue-nin," she said coldly. "And he had nothing to do with this organisation, as far as I'm aware. What made you turn to these people?"

"These people…" The expression on his face made it look as though he was much older than he did five seconds ago, the deep scowl seeming like it had been permanently etched into his features. "They understand my vengeance and hatred of Konoha. They have also lost people."

Was this false Akatsuki the same as the one in the other Itachi's world? Did they want the jinchūriki to take over the world, too? To enslave them all?

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Itachi was beginning to show signs of fatigue and as she looked to the left of her, she saw Katsuyu spitting acid at many of the rogue-nin, taking out as many as possible to try and ease the load for him.

Damn it, she didn't have time to screw around with Dei's brother.

"Let me guess," Sakura's voice returned to a bored drawl, like she'd heard his story many times before. "You all came together and decided to continue what was started."

"Taking out the shinobi villages."

Daringly, she laughed at his stupidity. "Unlike your brother, you're clearly an idiot."

The scowl deepened. "What did you just say?" he demanded with a snarl, fists clenching tightly and his entire demeanour shifted, telling her he was about to lunge.

"Dei was smart and was always a step ahead, whereas _you_ are a step behind."

He shot forward, reaching behind him for his katana, but the second he moved, his back was soaked with acid from the slug suddenly towering over him from behind.

"You allowed your vengeance to consume you and because of that, my summon managed to sneak up behind you." Smirking, she raised an eyebrow as he fell to the ground, writhing in agony. "You _won't_ be getting back up from an attack of her acid." Addressing the small slug on her shoulder, she said gratefully, "Thank you, Katsuyu-sama. How is Itachi holding up?"

She raised her head, optical tentacles waving in the air. "He will need assistance, Sakura-chan. At the moment, Itachi-san is unknowingly using your chakra for battle as well as my healing him. Neither of you can keep this up for long, not even with your reserves."

Shit, he was already out of chakra. In the back of her mind, she knew Itachi didn't have the greatest stamina, however, his exhaustion from everything else going on in his life had tired him out already. She should have known that would happen.

Thanking Katsuyu once more, Sakura shot forward. It would be best to end things as quickly as possible and with that thought in mind, she decided to take a risk and try something she'd never attempted before.

Clenching her fist and hoping for the best, she swung at thin air, but the sudden blast of chakra had the desired effect and more as it took out a large amount of rogue-nin. Beneath them, the ground cracked and crumbled and the surrounding trees were decimated. Unfortunately for her, however, she couldn't keep that up. It took more chakra than she'd presumed and while it was a great way of slashing the enemy's numbers, it was way too dangerous to use in a battle such as this.

Despite that thought, when Sakura locked onto a large group heading straight for an already surrounded Itachi, she threw her other fist forward while running for them, only waiting long enough for the destruction to be over before she was behind Itachi, their backs brushing together.

"We're running low on chakra," she informed him quietly.

"I know," Itachi replied. "We must find a way to keep our distance from them, however."

He wasn't even aware that he was using her reserves via Katsuyu, was he? Sakura found herself unable to tell him about it, either. If Itachi knew, then he would stop using any attacks that involved chakra, which included his sharingan, too and they needed it too much.

Again, they were surrounded and the only thing pushing her to continue was the fact that they had cut down their numbers by half, if not more. Of course, Katsuyu was a major help with that – another reason why she knew she had to fight hard and end the battle soon. They needed Katsuyu just as much as they needed Itachi's sharingan, as she was the one who was protecting Genma and Raidō, healing the fatal wounds that they'd somehow survived.

Was Dei's brother perhaps not as strong as Dei?

There was no time to think about it, for the enemy was attacking once more and Sakura sucked in a breath as Itachi grabbed her arm and swung her around. Knowing what he was ordering without him saying the words, she kicked at each of the rogue-nin like she was walking on them, using enough chakra to keep them down, but not wasting a single drop more.

Perfect chakra control _was_ her thing, after all.

Just as her feet touched the floor, the world spun as Itachi flung her upwards and again, she knew what he wanted her to do (as the move was one of his own that he taught her) and she reached into her pouch, quickly grabbing explosive tags that were already attached to kunai. Launching them with deadly precision and a dash of chakra to make them fly faster, she impaled each of her targets and the second Itachi was out of the way, she made the seal to ignite the tags. The explosions took out whoever was standing close to those who were impaled.

But then agonising pain took over, making her unable to land properly and just the sound of the bone in her leg cracking made her nauseous. It left her vulnerable to attacks, left her thinking too much about the pain to even wonder what had caused her agony while up in the air.

Something hit her hard enough to knock Sakura out of her stupor, however not soon enough as she was pinned beneath a heavy man grinning lecherously at her, with her mind hazy and eyes heavy due to the throbbing ache of her leg and head.

What scared her more, though – no, what _terrified_ her more than the man who looked like he was about to do a hundred perverted things to her was when Sakura felt a wave of killing intent all but explode out of Itachi. In an instant her eyes were on him, the haze clearing up just enough to see him, only to widen further at the breath-taking sight that he made and she wasn't sure whether or not she should fear him.

She could _see_ the outline of chakra around his body and it was powerful enough to cause a breeze to fill the clearing, gently making his hair sway. But the eyes…

"Mangekyō," she whispered breathlessly.

They seemed almost demonic.

Suddenly, Itachi was leaping into the air, spinning and several kunai left his hands, making her wonder when he had found the time to grab them, but not a moment longer was spent thinking about it because he was then making a single hand sign. The rogue-nin who had been impaled abruptly exploded, taking down the others who had been by their sides.

And when he descended, he instantly took down the man on top of her, not giving him a quick and painless death as he locked eyes with him, trapping him in a word of torture.

Already, Katsuyu was healing her of the concussion, but the broken leg would take much longer. Itachi must have known this already, because he spared her only a single glance before taking it upon himself to finish the rest of the rogue-nin off.

And all she could do was stare in wide eyed shock.

From the other Itachi's memories, she knew of the exact moment that he awakened his mangekyō and knew enough to know that only the death of a close friend could bring forth the transformation. Had this Itachi gotten the wrong idea when she was pinned, or when she'd cried out in pain? Had he thought she died because of her being so still beneath the man, not wanting to move because of the pain in her leg?

Even though she was in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by a horrifying amount of dead bodies, her stomach fluttered with nervous excitement. There truly was no way he could ever deny he had feelings for her now, as just the thought of her dying (because he hadn't actually seen her die, just thought that she had), awakened his mangekyō. That meant she was a precious person to him, if not _the_ most precious.

And the sight he made now, as he effortlessly dispatched of the others, was nothing short of beautiful. Strands of hair had fallen from his loose ponytail and they stuck to his skin with perspiration, his clothes were torn and even shredded in some places, but what struck her most was the look of unmistakable rage on his face. It made her wonder if it was his rage that kept him going, despite his exhaustion.

Speaking of exhaustion…

If the battle continued any longer, then she was going to be seriously depleted of chakra. Unsurprisingly, Katsuyu needed a tremendous amount to heal Genma and Raidō's wounds, and just as unsurprisingly, the mangekyō took a hell of a lot of chakra, too. Adding that to the pair of them battling…

At the same as time as the thought ran through her mind, the final enemy fell, leaving the pair of them standing amongst what could only be described as a massacre and it was as though the Gods above them had witnessed their unforgivable actions and were weeping, because suddenly, the clouds opened up, instantly soaking them to the bone with a cold rain that felt like it was cutting into her skin.

What they had just done should have sickened her. It should have made her want to run away and cry. However, all she could focus on was Itachi as he turned to face her and even though he was the one who put in all the hard work, she found herself panting just as heavily as he was, too.

It was wordlessly that he dropped the bloody kunai in his hand and, without breaking eye contact, walked over to where she stood, shaking from the cold rain, and injured. He didn't pause when he reached her. Instead, Itachi instantly reached out, hands cupping her face softly before he was sealing his mouth on hers, moving his lips insistently against hers.

The kiss – no, Itachi himself, completely dominated her senses, leaving her unable to do anything but melt into him. He blocked out the deafening sound of the rain pouring down on them, he blocked out the agony of her broken leg and other injuries, he blocked out all that they had done and it was all with that single kiss – a kiss that told her all she needed to know. She couldn't believe the power of his emotions coming from his kiss, couldn't believe for one moment that she was feeling something that went way deeper than lust for him.

But why not?

Sakura returned the kiss wholeheartedly, her hands splayed out on his chest, fingers tangling into his shirt and she put all her weight onto her uninjured leg, leaning into him.

Even when they had to break apart for air, Itachi didn't move too far from her, resting his forehead on hers and his hands moving to hers, covering them.

Sound returned to her in that moment and the pouring rain drowned out the sounds of their heavy breathing.

_His heart was racing._

The realisation made her own skip a beat. It was possible that it was still racing from the battle, but something was nagging at her that it wasn't. It was because of her, because of their kiss.

But as always, the moment had to end before it truly even began.

"Forgive me, but we must find somewhere to stay," Katsuyu told them. "You are both running dangerously low on chakra and I cannot stay here once yours has run out, Sakura-chan."

Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement. "We won't live through another battle so soon after this one."

Itachi agreed with the pair of them, saying, "We will find shelter from the rain and recuperate there."

They were too far from the inn to make it there in time to collapse, so had to settle for a small cave not even five minutes from the battlefield. It was risky staying so close, but they had no other choice. They couldn't go any further.

Freezing from the rain, Sakura shivered as she removed her backpack and opened it with trembling hands, trying to be as quick as possible as she removed spare clothes and her sleeping bag and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi doing the same.

Undressing in front of him filled her stomach with nervous butterflies, anxiety making it difficult to continue with the task. While Team Seven had seen her undressed a few times before (though not totally naked), no other man had and in her mind, she still had the body of a child – no curvaceous figure like other girls her age, who were all blossoming into beautiful women. Sure, she was now too tall and had too wide hips to truly look like a child, however, unfortunately for her, it seemed she was a late bloomer in the place that really mattered to a woman.

Gods, she wished she had her shishou's chest – well, perhaps a tad smaller. Maybe Hinata's size?

"Would you like any help?"

The voice startled her and green eyes snapped up to dark as she frowned. Itachi was shirtless though had already changed his pants, with his soaked clothes spread out on the cave's ground and sleeping bag sat near Katsuyu's bodies. Obviously, he would stay close to them as they held the bodies of Genma and Raidō, who were both still healing, in case they were attacked.

Sakura opened her mouth to say that no, she didn't need any help, but embarrassingly, she once again shook with an awful tremor, leading Itachi to sigh and reach out for the clean, dry clothes.

"I will not take advantage, Sakura," he told her softly. "This is purely so you don't freeze to death."

Was it? The tension between them said otherwise, or was that just her? Her cheeks burned as she looked to the ground, silently telling Itachi that she agreed with him and was allowing him to continue. He did so without a word, gently easing the zip of her torn vest down until it was left open, allowing him to inspect her wounds to ensure they wouldn't become infected. The feeling of his hands touching her body made the butterflies in her stomach return.

Only when he was certain they were fine did he fully remove the shirt, allowing it to fall to the ground, leaving her top half covered in nothing more than a flimsy cropped mesh shirt, one that covered her bindings and was held up with a single strap. In her chest, her heart was skipping beats and going so fast that she began to warm up despite the cold.

Itachi's hand came to the back of the cropped mesh shirt, obviously checking to see if it was wet and, unfortunately for her, it was.

However, he surprised her by saying, "I would like to try something."

She frowned up at him. "What is it?"

Using the same hand that had checked to see if the clothing was wet, he held it up and she watched in wary awe as he summoned chakra to his hand, her frown returning as she sensed the heat coming from it. It wasn't difficult understanding what he was about to do and while it was easier changing into a clean shirt, she didn't want him to see her chest and to be disappointed by it before they even went on a date.

Then again, if things continued between them, he would see her chest sooner or later… Better to disappoint him now before they got in deeper.

She reached out weakly and caught his hand, shaking her head. "Don't use any more chakra," she told him and then looked at the slug still resting on his shoulder. "You've been…" It was hard looking at him as she admitted, "You've been using my chakra."

The chakra summoned to his hand instantly disappeared and he reached out for her face, tilting her head back so that she would reluctantly meet his eyes and, as she'd been expecting, there was a great disapproval there. Disapproval and shock.

"Why didn't you stop me?" he demanded quietly.

It was so tempting to look away, but Sakura knew not to. "You needed it and I needed you."

Besides, it wasn't like he wasted any of it and it was better having him fight by her side using her chakra than her wasting it. Sure, it would probably hurt his pride telling him that, however, she knew that Itachi wasn't arrogant enough to ignore when he needed help – well, _this_ Itachi wasn't. The other Itachi had been, vehemently refusing any help that was offered to him, choosing a life of solitude and pain instead.

Reaching up to the slug on his shoulder, he thanked Katsuyu again before placing her down on the ground. Understanding him, she slithered over to her two larger bodies and re-joined one of them. Sakura would have done the same, but Katsuyu was still healing her (although she wasn't sure how much longer that would last). Sighing at the realisation, she then removed Katsuyu from her shoulder, ignoring Itachi's disbelief.

Genma and Raidō needed healing more than she did. She would simply have to deal with the pain flaring up and down her leg until they returned to the village.

_Just in case…_

Her hands lifted, grazing the skin of his chest. Like earlier, his heart was racing, almost thundering away in his chest and it eased the tension in her muscles somewhat to know he was just as nervous as herself.

A weak, green glow of healing chakra filled the cave, lighting it up and she once more ignored Itachi when he told her to stop. His voice was quiet, tired and she knew it was because he knew she was only checking him over.

And the relief nearly overwhelmed her as she found that, other than major eyestrain and a killer headache, he was fine.

The green glow slowly dimmed before vanishing altogether and Sakura rested her hands on his chest fully, her fingers curling and nails biting into his skin. _Stupid man_, she thought and bit her lip harshly, lowering her head so that her hair shielded her features from him.

"Sakura-"

"You keep telling me that I'm the one who's reckless," her voice was a shaky whisper. "Yet you completely used up your own chakra and even… got so worked up that your eyes…"

"You were in danger," he replied simply and she could feel him trying to peer through the curtain that was her hair. "As your captain – _former_ captain – I-"

Anger lashed through her and one of her hands clenched into a fist, weakly punching his chest with the side of her fist. "Stop it. Stop pretending that you don't feel more for me – I know you do."

Silence.

Tears gathered in her eyes. "Stop running away from me!"

Just as she went to bring her fist down on his chest again, Itachi caught her wrist and Sakura leaned back slightly, gazing up at him from beneath her lashes.

She was stunned by the expression on his face, almost exactly how it had been back at the inn. It was the expression of a man who held a huge burden on his shoulders, a man who was worrying about so many different things that it made his head spin. He looked tired and lost and confused. Sad and angry. He looked like a man who was yearning for something, but was too scared to reach out and grab it.

"I am not running away."

"Yes, you are," Sakura argued, her voice rising in volume. "When things get serious or emotional, you push me away. You push everyone away!"

"Sakura-"

But she cut him off, sighing sadly. "You can't argue with me on this, Itachi. Up until I told you that I was giving you my heart, everything was fine. We were friends who hung out often and trained together, who went on walks and hugged and even had the occasional kiss." When he turned his head away, she reached up with her free hand and forced him to keep eye contact. "You're doing it again." There was no reply and at his silence, she shut her eyes and dropped her head to his shoulder. "I meant every word, Itachi," Sakura whispered and brought his hand to her chest, placing it over her heart. It made her nervous, as her breasts were covered with nothing but a cropped mesh shirt, but the moment was too intense to complain. "This… My heart is yours." She took a deep breath, once more taking a risk by saying, "Please take care of it."

_Give him time._

_Be patient with him._

_He is not who he appears to be._

They were all things the other Itachi had told her and since his death, she had stuck by those words. Even after being rejected by him, even after her shouting match with him and Izumi, even after he had ignored her… Sakura still stood by those words because she knew they were true. She'd seen the real Itachi.

"You have to stop running someday, Itachi."

As her leg began to shake and she slowly fell to her knees, ignoring the hot stab of pain it caused, she was grateful for Itachi joining her on the ground, kneeling in front of her. Twin tears slid down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and landing on the ground. Was it the adrenaline fading from the battle? Was it everything catching up to her that was making her feel so weak and emotional? Was it the pain of her leg?

"Just, please… Don't make me wait too long." Her shoulders shook when he freed his hands. "I'm so tired, Itachi. I'm tired of holding myself back when I see you in the streets, or when we're on a mission together, or when we're just sat in complete silence. _Every damn time_, I wanted to tell you how much I care for you, to tell you that I want you to be mine, just as I'm yours!"

She was forced to look up when Itachi placed his hands on her shoulders. "Stop, Sakura."

But she shook her head, dimples forming in her chin as she tried to hold back her tears.

"You are such a stubborn woman," he sighed and then leaned forward, sealing his lips over hers gently and slipping his hands from her shoulders and to her hands, holding them.

The kiss told her so much more than he ever would.

But that wasn't enough.

Reluctantly, Sakura pulled away and kept her eyes shut, her eyebrows knitting together when Itachi pressed his forehead to hers.

"I'm not asking you to tell me that you love me. All I'm asking for is a chance."

"A chance?"

Green eyes opened and Sakura glanced up. "A chance for 'us'," she whispered. "A chance to make you happy."

He was shutting her out again.

Before he could pull away, she quickly sat up, kneeling in front of him so that she had somewhat of a height advantage and pulling him into another kiss. Her heart was pounding as he returned it, as she cupped his face and he grabbed at her waist, his breathing hitching as he dragged her closer, their bodies pressing together.

Just as she was certain he was about to give in, however, he broke the kiss and shook his head. "Don't use sex this way, Sakura."

"What way?" she breathed, fingers gently playing with his hair. "Who said anything about sex?"

The look he gave her was one of those 'don't bullshit me' expressions. "If you continue kissing me like that, then it _will_ end in sex, I can assure you."

A fierce blush raged on her cheeks and she was certain it went all the way up to her hairline. "I…"

Itachi shut his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, breathing out against her lips in a gentle whisper, "You asked that I take care of your heart."

Sakura's eyes widened.

Rejection.

He was rejecting her again.

He sighed. "And I will protect it as best as I can… but in return, please take care of mine."

She damn near stopped breathing.

After a moment, his eyes opened and she was stunned by the vulnerability she could see in them.

"It belongs to you, and you alone," Itachi vowed.


	41. Breaking Inside

**Chapter 41**

**Breaking Inside**

* * *

She shot up in her sleeping bag, awakening with a gasp, with a cold sweat soaking her skin and her heart beating a mile a minute.

_Those damned memories…_

Shaking hands covered her face as she sensed Itachi looking over at her, doing her best to block everything out when tears filled her eyes. The memories were too much and after what had happened several hours ago, it seemed they'd increased in intensity. What had she seen? What had she relived?

It took everything to hold back her sob.

_The Uchiha Massacre._

She'd witnessed the other Itachi slaughtering his clansmen, had watched through his eyes, had felt everything he'd experienced, as he murdered his parents and tortured an innocent Sasuke. It wasn't the first time, but…

_It was too much for her._

"Sakura."

Gods, why did it have to hurt so much?

The small grasp of composure slipped away when Itachi joined her, when he gently pried her hands from her face and instead cupped it with his own, eyes staring down at her worriedly. It had her walls crumbling down, had tears pouring down her cheeks and the sob she'd been fiercely fighting back, erupted and it was obvious her breakdown took Itachi by surprise, because for a moment, all he could do was watch, his mouth parting until he brought her close, allowing Sakura to hide her face in his chest.

"Please, don't cry," he murmured, hand running through her messy hair.

How…? A helpless sob left her and she clutched desperately at Itachi's arms, trying to find something to anchor herself to. The memories… Blocking them out was no longer possible. It seemed the darker her world became, the more memories leaked through. Whereas the other Itachi had massacred his entire clan in one night, she and Itachi had…

Forgetting about running his hand through her hair, he instead wrapped his arms around her securely, keeping her close as she shook with her sobs.

"What has upset you, Sakura?" There was an obvious plea in his voice, like just the sound of her cries hurt him deeply. "Was it a nightmare?"

She could feel him pressing his lips to the top of her head and while it _did_ give her comfort, it wasn't enough to take away what she'd seen and done. Gods, it was hard to breathe. How could they…? How could Itachi have…?

There was a beg at the tip of her tongue that she fiercely fought back, to the point where Sakura could taste blood in her mouth because of how hard she was biting her tongue. She wanted to beg Itachi to take the memories away, to banish them from her mind forever, however, she knew he wasn't ready to learn about his other self's involvement in their world just yet. They needed more time together, to build trust and-

_But it hurt so bad!_

Once more, the arms around her tightened and it truly felt like she was safe in his arms, like nobody could mess up her hair, let alone hurt her. It was a shame the thing hurting her was inside. It tore her apart that she couldn't even tell him why she was in such a pitiful state. Instead, all Sakura could do was grip a tight hold of the back of his shirt, trying to stop herself from ruining what they had by telling him too much too soon.

"The first time…" He surprised her greatly by speaking, as she'd been certain he wouldn't. "The first time I took part in a mission such as the one we just completed, I grew distant from everyone. In some ways, I still am."

There was no use in trying to see his expression. Not only would she fall apart if he loosened his grip by just the slightest bit, but he was making it impossible to look up. It was easier opening up when you weren't looking someone dead in the eye.

"Don't do the same thing, Sakura," he murmured and she felt him press his cheek to the top of her head. "Please open up to someone. It will destroy you otherwise."

Damn it…

She wanted nothing more than to tell Itachi about his other self, to get it all off her chest, however, she knew she couldn't.

Not yet.

* * *

The sun was stubbornly bursting into the cave when she next awoke, doubling the pain of the headache she was already experiencing. The warmth surrounding her shifted as she did and it took a few moments too long to realise there were arms wrapped around her, loosening the hold as Sakura slowly sat up, hands resting on his chest to gain some balance.

Mostly, she felt ashamed of herself for breaking down the way she had the night before. After fighting so hard to prove to Itachi that she could stay in ANBU without being broken beyond repair, after him entrusting her with his mask, she'd snapped like a twig under the slightest bit of pressure.

In her defence, that mission had not been the slightest bit of pressure. It… There were no words. She simply couldn't describe how devastating it had been.

"How are you feeling?" Itachi asked quietly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

Despite the aching of her head (which wasn't entirely down to her headache), she pressed her forehead back to his chest and smiled. Being held in his arms like she currently was… was intoxicating. It was everything she'd always wanted and more. The look of tenderness, of unconditional love… Sure, it wasn't _as_ powerful, but it reminded her so much of how the other Itachi had looked when he spoke of his Sakura.

"Better, thanks to you," she replied just as quietly.

"I was hardly of any use to you," he murmured.

She looked up at that, finally meeting his eye and she couldn't help but frown at the torn expression on his face. Had he been beating himself up about it? There was nothing that could have calmed her the night before – not unless she told him about the other Itachi. Even then, that would have done more bad than good.

"You were," Sakura argued. "You comforted me, Itachi. You held me as I cried and made me feel safe in your arms."

"I couldn't-"

"Oi," she silenced him firmly, frowning at him. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek, forcing him to maintain eye contact. "You're only human, Itachi. You can't have the answers for everything stored away in that head of yours." There was still a pained look in his eyes and it had her sighing. "I… needed that, Itachi. I needed to let it all out. That was my way of opening up to you."

And it was the truth. By being so emotionally vulnerable in front of him, regardless of whether it was with her permission or not, it was her way of saying she trusted him. Only a handful of people got to see her with her guards completely down and now, Itachi was one of them. Now, they just had to work on his trust in her. It was only then that she knew she could share everything that had happened, everything that had been shared with her, with him.

Itachi copied her sigh and cupped her face, too. "Then I'm afraid we must find a new way for you to open up," he said softly. "It was painful to witness."

Weakly, Sakura laughed, but the laughter stopped abruptly at the sharp pain shooting up and down her leg, reminding her of the broken bone. Unfortunately for her, it would remain that way until they returned to the village and would probably need to be broken again to set it properly. The killer headache she was experiencing was a warning of chakra depletion, so to try and heal anything else would burn her out.

"Sakura." She looked up at him, only to frown again at his expression of regret. "Please forgive me for using your chakra. Had I known-"

"We've discussed this already," she cut him off.

"Yes, but I did not apologise properly."

Damn it, how long had she been out? Clearly it had been too long because he was lost in that head of his. And Sakura was willing to bet her pay for the mission that he hadn't been able to move at all because of her dead weight.

"Then get it off your chest and we'll move on from it." She smiled up at him. "I won't have any negativity on our first date."

Happiness had her stomach fluttering when Itachi reluctantly smiled, unable to resist returning hers as he replied, "Neither will I." Then, he reached out, holding her once more. "So, please forgive me for all that has happened and we can leave all negativity behind us in the past."

* * *

_"Forgive me, Sakura-san," he whispered and she could feel his breath tickling across her scalp._

_Her throat tightened._

_"It's not…" Her hands tangled in his shirt, desperate for something to cling on to. "It's not your fault. You were completing the… mission."_

_Itachi shook his head. "I am not apologising for the mission. I am apologising for bringing you into this part of the world – the dark part." She felt him hesitating but a second later, his hand came back to the back of her head, his fingers running softly through her hair. "You shine too brightly for a world so dark."_

_"That makes no sense," Sakura chuckled through her tears._

_He sighed. "I do not want your light to dim."_

_"Do not let this change you, Sakura," he all but whispered to her. "Your light is too bright to allow something such as this to blow it out."_

_It was impossible holding back her sob, though she had to admit she was proud of herself for muffling it as best as she possibly could. In response, his other arm came around her, holding her gently and allowing her to cry out all the pain that was festering inside of her._

_Why did the comfort he was giving to her make her want to cry even harder? Sakura's shoulders shook and her face scrunched up, though it was thankfully buried into Itachi's chest so he didn't have to look at the unattractive sight._

_"Forgive me," he repeated quietly into her hair._

* * *

Like he had that day after her first assassination mission, Itachi pulled her closer, whispering, "Forgive me."

The words were heavier than she'd been anticipating, asking her to forgive not just the chakra depletion or the way their mission had ended, but for everything that had happened in the past between them. The pain and the heartbreak, the stress ANBU caused her, the darkness that threatened to swallow her whole, had she not shined so brightly.

Even though it made her leg throb, Sakura returned his hold, shifting so that she could fit her body against his.

"I forgive you," she whispered, voice shaking and green eyes squeezed shut. "I forgive you!"

Soft lips brushed against her temple in thanks, hands running up her back and into her hair. It felt like Itachi was finally giving in to his feelings, felt like he'd been fighting against them for so long before finally accepting them. Like a huge wave of relief was washing over him.

"I-"

"Sakura-chan!"

The sudden reminder that Katsuyu was mere feet away from them had Sakura's blood running cold momentarily until she felt her entire face flooding with warmth. The blush easily went straight up to her hairline. In response to her embarrassment, she quickly pulled away despite the pain it caused her and looked to the slug and her eyes went wide at the sight of her bodies moving.

"Are they…?"

Itachi's question trailed off, leaving Sakura to exclaim happily, "They're waking up!"

Gods, it hadn't even been a day, but it still caused her great worry knowing they'd been unconscious for so long. Even though she knew not to doubt both her own skill and Katsuyu's, it was impossible to not worry about the two men. There'd been no telling how long they would be out for, or if they would slip into a coma. The trauma their bodies went through was unimaginable to her. It had killed Ino instantly, so she'd been preparing for the worst despite being so hopeful.

They both stood, with Itachi keeping her up and allowing Sakura to lean against him, making sure that no weight was on her broken leg. For that she was grateful. However, her thanks had to wait because she was too excited for their awakening. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and made its way up into her throat, whereas her stomach was in knots of anticipation. And then they began fighting to leave the safety of Katsuyu's bodies, struggling weakly until they fell out and collapsed onto the ground, hacking and coughing.

"What the-"

"Katsuyu-sama," Genma acknowledged breathlessly. "Shizune told me about that technique not long ago."

"Which means…" Raidō was panting heavily as he slowly pushed off from his hands and shakily climbed to his feet. "We were in critical condition."

"Correction: you should have been dead."

The pair of them immediately looked to her or, more importantly, the missing seal from her forehead and noticing that it was missing, their eyes went wide as realisation dawned on them, as they realised how close they'd come to death's door, only to be plucked away by a stubborn teenager who couldn't accept defeat.

"You saved us," Genma murmured, still in shock. "And the rogue-nin?"

"Dead," Itachi informed them. His hold on her was still secure, though at the report, she felt his arm tighten around her, more than likely fearing that she would break down again. "Sakura and I defeated them."

"With the help of Katsuyu-sama," Sakura added quietly and her cheeks flushed.

When said out loud, it sounded impressive that they'd defeated so many rogue-nin without backup. Yes, it still hurt that they'd caused such pain and destruction, but it said a lot for their skill to take on so many rogue-nin and come out mostly unscathed.

"Thank you," Genma said earnestly and then looked to Katsuyu. "And thank you, Katsuyu-sama."

The slug's optical tentacles dipped and Sakura knew Katsuyu was also feeling shy. "Please, don't thank me. Sakura-chan is the one who refused to give up on either of you." She smiled timidly at her summon. "Without her chakra, I would have been unable to do anything for you."

Speaking of chakra, hers was worryingly low. Lower than it ever had been, in fact. Both her ordinary and reserved chakra were drained and it left her feeling weak and tired. "I just did what Tsunade-sama would."

"And you have done us all proud," Katsuyu told her proudly.

The blush deepened.

The two men looked to her with obvious admiration and gratefulness, soon walking over to where she stood. It made her feel a bit boxed in, if she was being honest. None of the three men where small, each much taller than herself and certainly more muscular.

And then Raidō took them all by surprise by reaching out and wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Raidō said seriously, holding her close. "Thanks to you, I can go home to my children and wife and tell them how much I love them."

Genma patted her back. "As can I. We can't thank you enough. I-" As he cut himself off, Sakura quickly looked over Raidō's shoulder, anxiety gnawing at her, but she sighed with relief at the panic in his eyes as he stared down at his hand. "Where's my ring? Shit, Shizune will kill me if I've lost it!"

That was his main concern? Not the fact that he could have died, but that he'd lost his wedding ring? Damn, maybe Shizune was more like Tsunade than they'd thought? Maybe she was the one who wore the pants in that relationship?

"It's in my pouch. I would have done the same for you, Raidō-san, but you weren't wearing one," Sakura told them quietly. "When I first got to you both, I thought you were…" Swallowing at the awful memory of their bodies lifelessly laying on the battlefield, she looked down. "I took the ring to give it to Shizune-senpai. I would have had to…"

Destroy their bodies. She couldn't say the words, but they knew what she meant.

Once again, Genma's hand came to her shoulder and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. "We understand. It would have been for the sake of the village, Sakura."

He must have sensed her darkening mood, must have sensed the ache in her chest, because Raidō spoke next, replying with, "I don't wear mine because my wife is a civilian and I keep my shinobi life separate from my life as a husband and father." He gave a small smile and pulled back. "They can't be used against me if no-one knows about them."

She supposed that was true, even though it was sad thinking that way. Living in such a way, fighting to keep the two lives separate, had to be a struggle that she couldn't even imagine.

It made her rethink Itachi's actions in the past. Had he also been trying to keep her from harm? It wasn't until after Fugaku was attacked that he became especially difficult to deal with. Every time she got just that little bit closer to his heart, he would shut her down and leave her without another word. Yes, the whole mess of her apparent relationship with Shisui hadn't helped matters, but it was mainly after his father was attacked that he closed himself off from her.

Her time with the other Itachi came to mind, reminding her of how things had ended between him and his own Sakura.

* * *

_Sakura frowned and looked away uncomfortably. "I… I died. In your timeline, I mean."_

_It took a moment, but Itachi eventually nodded. "I couldn't save you." The look in his usually impassive eyes as he turned to her, would always haunt Sakura. "And I never got the chance to tell you that I returned your feelings. I never had the chance to thank you for all you've ever done for me."_

* * *

It broke her heart that they never got the chance to truly be with one another, with all their feelings and emotions out in the open and nothing left unsaid.

However, in their own timeline, they didn't have to worry about that, Sakura realised as she met Itachi's eye. There would be no regrets if they died tomorrow, because now their feelings were out in the open. They now knew where they stood with one another.

All they had to work on was Itachi's trust in her – it had been shattered by her rival, Izumi, when the idiot got jealous and spread lies that she was involved with Shisui. Understandably, Itachi was upset by it. If he hadn't been, it would have upset _her_, as it meant he didn't give a shit. The fact he was angry at just the thought of her being with another meant something. No, it meant a lot. Right?

What had she been talking about? Sakura frowned and went back to leaning against Itachi. With her chakra so severely drained, it took everything just to continue standing there and talking.

It seemed Katsuyu was thinking along the same lines, because she suddenly said, "I will go now to save your chakra, Sakura-chan. Please do not travel back to Konoha until you have recovered at least a fraction of your chakra."

As soon as the slug summon was gone, relief took her breath away and Sakura relished in the feeling of the continuous drain on her chakra disappearing. Katsuyu was a great help and she'd be lost without her, there was no doubt about it, but at that moment in time, she'd been more of a leech who was sucking every last drop of chakra out of her. Simply her being in their world – as her own summon and not Tsunade's – took a chunk of her chakra depending on how big she appeared to them. Even a huge Katsuyu was only a portion of her real body. Even Tsunade didn't know how big she truly was. In all honesty, Sakura hoped to never find out, as just the mere thought made her tired.

"Looks like we'll be playing doctor for a while," Genma said teasingly when he turned back to her. "Hope you don't mind being the patient for once."

* * *

They were terrible medics.

Okay sure, they were trying their hardest while all recovering from either fatal wounds or chakra depletion, but still. Where the hell was the great bedside manner? Jeez. Even a hungover Tsunade was better than this.

Maybe it was because she was in pain and severely tired, meaning she was in an awful mood, but everything they said or did ground on every single one of her nerves. While so worried about the two men, it had been easy ignoring the broken bone in her leg. However, now it was all she could think about because there was nothing left to be worried about, leaving her to focus on it and every little twinge of discomfort entirely.

"I can try and heal it-"

"No offence, but I'm not trusting the medical ninjutsu you've spent all of two minutes learning," Sakura told Genma bluntly, narrowing her eyes on his. He'd only make the pain worse. "Shizune-senpai told me all about your fake interest."

The corner of his lip pulled up in what would have been a devilish smirk, if it weren't for the awful sweats she was experiencing due to the agony her body was in. Not for the first time, Sakura made a mental note to always save at least a fraction of her chakra for herself at the end of a battle. Doing so would save her so much trouble.

Somebody sat beside her, forcing her to glance up at them. She felt her agitation simmer somewhat when Itachi gave her a small smile and handed over a damp cloth. It was cool and she immediately began to pat herself down, sighing in quiet relief.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

It wouldn't stop her stinking in a few hours if she didn't wash properly (she was covered in blood, grime and now several layers of sweat, after all), but it was a welcomed change to the suffocating heat she felt all over her body.

Over at the small fire, Raidō informed them all, "Dinner is ready."

Honestly, she hadn't been expecting much of a dinner, so it was safe to say she was more than surprised by the small feast Raidō had managed to prepare for them. With what little supplies they'd had in their packs, he'd created a meal that filled all their stomachs – something that she was incredibly grateful for, as the more she ate and rested, the quicker her chakra would be restored.

They spoke quietly as they ate. Things such as how their lives were going back in the village and where they were headed or wanted to head in terms of ranks. Itachi told them about his becoming patriarch, which they congratulated him on. Genma discussed his and Shizune's decision to try for a baby and how he was much more open to the idea after nearly dying, making her bubble with happiness for the couple. Raidō spoke about his position as their Hokage's personal guard and how he was happy where he was and didn't feel the need for change. As for herself, she mentioned the possibility of taking on students. Neither Raidō nor Genma seemed all that surprised, but she assumed that was because they were Minato's guards, meaning they'd probably listened in on the conversation. Still, they offered their advice and how they saw the opportunity personally.

"Maybe he wants to test your leadership skills?" Raidō stated and lowered his chopsticks from his mouth. "There's no room for mistakes in ANBU, after all. One mistake will cost your life."

Genma nodded, agreeing easily. "Some guys _do_ take the risk with being ANBU captains with no other leadership skills, but there's been too many incidents for Hokage-sama to risk it anymore."

Hesitantly, she looked up at Itachi. Before ANBU, he'd had no experience in leading teams, but by the time he was thirteen years old, he was a captain of his own ANBU squad.

"Isn't it just as risky with students, though?" Sakura asked quietly and turned her attention back to the two men opposite her. "I mean… They're so young and impressionable and… _breakable_. What if something happened to them?"

"You're underestimating them," Genma replied. "Most kids nowadays could run circles around us jōnin. Take a look at your own team, for example."

She frowned and noticed out of the corner of her eye that he also had Itachi's full attention now, whereas he'd previously been eating his meal. "Team Seven?"

"Yeah," Raidō said with a laugh. "No offence, but nobody expected much out of you guys. Sasuke, maybe, since he's the son of Fugaku-san. But not you or Naruto after you first graduated the Academy."

Great. Another reminder of how pitiful she'd been as a child, of how she'd been more concerned with her appearance and her undying love for Sasuke than her skills as a kunoichi.

"Under the right supervision, you didn't just grow up, you all pretty much exploded," Genma added. Then, he shrugged, saying, "Kakashi wasn't the right teacher for you or Naruto, but he was for Sasuke, which is why we all saw the potential in him. When you went to Tsunade-sama, and Naruto went to Jiraiya-sama, we saw that exact same potential in you both, because you both finally had teachers who understood who you were and what you were capable of."

Sure, that was probably true, however, Kakashi was still a fairly decent teacher. He may not have taught her or Naruto much in comparison to what he taught Sasuke, but he _did_ drill one very important rule into their heads that they'd never forgotten for a single second:

_Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum._

It originally came from Obito, but the meaning never left Kakashi and he then went on to teach them about the importance of teamwork and cherishing their comrades and bonds.

"What they are trying to say is that every student has the potential to surpass their sensei, Sakura," Itachi said after a lengthy pause. "All they need is someone who understands them as a person and knows how hard to push them."

Like Tsunade had for her, she realised numbly. Sakura had to admit: the idea of students didn't seem quite as daunting as it had before her chat with Itachi the other night. That didn't mean she was ready to take on a team of students, because like hell she would ever feel one hundred percent confident with that (only an arrogant fool would say such a thing), it just meant that she was more… open to the idea of taking someone under her wing – an apprentice, perhaps.

Passing on her knowledge (with Tsunade's permission to share her forbidden jutsu, of course) was an appealing thought. It gave her the chance to improve the next generation, who could soon surpass them all.

By only taking on one student, it would also give her the chance to experiment with how it felt and whether or not it was something she was interested in doing. Teaching had never really crossed Sakura's mind before – hell, she was technically still Tsunade's apprentice. Just because she had mastered the Byakugō no In and the enhanced strength, it didn't mean she'd learned all Tsunade had to teach. They simply didn't have the time nowadays for anything other than a quick spar.

"Don't forget that you don't have to do it," Genma informed her at her continued silence. "Hokage-sama offered it to you as a suggestion."

"Personally, I think you should take the opportunity," Raidō cut in before she could reply to Genma. "It's a way to gain more experience and it opens more doors for you."

Her earlier frown returned. "Did you take on a team, Raidō-san?"

He nodded once. "I decided to try it."

"But you haven't taken more than that one team," the brunet said with a smirk.

Paying no attention to Genma's words, he then told her, "At least if you try it now, you have plenty of time to better your skills, should you feel you have to." Shrugging, he added, "You might decide that it's something you'd like to do when you retire from being an active shinobi."

"Like Iruka-sensei?"

"Iruka-san is still an active shinobi," Itachi commented. "He simply prefers working at the Academy."

Oh. That made sense considering the fact he still wore his chūnin uniform.

The thought of Iruka suddenly struck Sakura with an idea, making her eyes go wide and she placed down her bowl and chopsticks. It had the others staring at her unsurely until she said, "I could speak to the children in the Academy!"

"Why?"

A bright smile split her lips, putting them on edge considering the fact she'd been bitchy and foul tempered for the past few hours. "We're always in need of more medics. In the hospital, out on missions and for ANBU, too. I could do a talk about medics and how important the work we do is."

Itachi seemed genuinely impressed as he watched her. "It would be beneficial," he replied, agreeing. "Many look up to you now, Sakura. Not only because you're Tsunade-sama's apprentice, but because we have all witnessed how hard you have worked for Konoha."

"Not to mention you're easy on the eyes," said Genma with a smirk. "If anyone can appeal to impressionable kids, it'll be you."

Sure, but she wasn't looking for superficial, hormonal brats who fled at the first sight of hard work. Sakura wanted strong willed, stubborn and fearless kids. Becoming a medic was no walk in the park. There were days when it felt like everything was against you, like everything that could possibly go wrong, _was_ going wrong and it hurt like hell.

Every medic went into the job with the mindset of making a difference, of savings lives and bettering them, too. However, there wasn't enough preparation in the world to ready a medic for the loss of a patient. It left you with two options, though: either let it destroy you, or grow from it and better yourself. In the beginning, Sakura had gone with the former, but now she knew better. Yes, it still hurt and it still made her want to curl up into a ball and cry for weeks on end because of the massive failure that resulted in someone's death, _but_ she didn't let it keep her down.

Instead, she did all she could to learn more of their death so that she would be better prepared should she be faced with that same situation in the future. There were so many poisons she could now create antidotes for, so many illnesses she could break apart and eradicate, so many defects she could pick up on. It aided her in gaining more experience, more knowledge. The things that happened made her a stronger person mentally, made her a greater medic.

And she wanted to pass all of that on to medics who could potentially surpass her. It was almost thrilling to think about. Her stomach actually flipped with nervous excitement at just the thought.

"I'm going to do it," she decided. Looking at the three men, she grinned brightly, saying, "I'm going to take on an apprentice!"

* * *

The travel back to Konoha was agonising.

At her order of returning to the village so that she could be properly healed (meaning more time to find an apprentice), Raidō and Genma offered to carry her in turns. It was a kind offer, really it was, however, she knew Itachi well enough by now to know that he preferred being the alpha male even if he tried to hide it. Well, that and Sakura saw the way he watched them all intensely at just the mere offers of being carried. Those two didn't seem to notice it, but she had. Apparently, it didn't matter to him that they were both happily married men. As they were males, Itachi disliked the thought of them touching her.

And that was perfectly fine by her, because she knew she would feel the same way had their positions been reversed. Hell, she'd given him a freaking physical because he was sat around waiting for some nurse who wanted to give him one _too much_. Of course, she hadn't known it was a physical until they were in the examination room, but that was beside the point.

Sakura turned down their offers politely and limped over to the man she was kind of dating, though hadn't officially been on a date with, yet still classed him as her… What, exactly? Boyfriend? Lover? The thought nearly made her blush. Either way, he was hers now and there wasn't a chance in hell that she was letting him go.

Wordlessly, Itachi carefully picked her up bridal style. It would tire his arms out faster than a piggy back ride, but she knew she wouldn't be able to cope with the pain her leg would be in from being held like that. They'd agreed that stopping for breaks every so often would be okay, not to mention necessary considering they were all still recovering.

And Sakura wasn't even going to try and deny the fact that she wanted to be carried by _only _Itachi. It felt intimate being held by him, with his hands and arms around her body and her head resting on his shoulder, face nearly buried in his neck. She didn't care about the way the two older men exchanged knowing smirks, or the way they refused to lose those smirks even when Itachi glanced over at them. Instead, all she could focus on was the feeling of his hands on her, was the fact that they were so close. She could feel his breath mixing with her own and while that previously would have disgusted her, Sakura couldn't help but imagine it being in a different situation, where they would be much, much closer and-

She blushed and hid her face.

It was going to be a long walk back to the village.

* * *

She'd been right.

While Genma and Raidō went straight to the Hokage Tower to inform Minato of their safe return and successfully completed mission, Itachi carried her straight to the hospital. He seemed so indifferent to the strange and surprised expressions that followed them, but she was not. Instead of being embarrassed, however, Sakura felt almost smug.

How long had it taken them to get to this place? How much pain and heartbreak had they gone through? To be able to walk through the village with her in his arms, uncaring of the stares and the whispers, meant a lot. Even though it could have been Itachi merely helping a fellow shinobi… It didn't matter. They both knew it wasn't that. And as their eyes met, Sakura couldn't help but smile widely at the look in his eyes. With a single tip of his head and with a smirk on his lips, she followed his gaze, before smothering her laughter into his shoulder at the looks of pure rage and disbelief on several of the Uchiha clansmen's faces. If she wasn't mistaken, then they were the elders.

They were going to be the talk of the village.

And neither of them cared.

* * *

Oh, she was _so pissed!_

"I mean… What the hell?" she demanded with a loud yell, uncaring of the fact they could hear her down the hall.

Itachi sighed.

When they arrived at the hospital, expecting a short wait until Tsunade or one of the other medics managed to heal her leg, they were greeted by not just an angered Tsunade, but a _furious_ Tsunade, who had spent the first hour screaming at Sakura about how foolish she'd been. Oh, and it had been in front of everyone in the waiting room and the reception desk, much to her embarrassment. Itachi hadn't even had the chance to sit her down before Tsunade laid into her. Apparently Katsuyu had informed on her everything that had happened – which, by the way, she was certain was a breach in their contract – and the blonde was less than impressed.

"I'm alive, aren't I?" Sakura snapped at no-one in particular. "We all came back alive, so what the hell is her problem?"

Her punishment?

Not only did she have to allow _all_ injuries to heal naturally, but she was also being forced to stay in the hospital until Tsunade deemed her okay to be discharged. It had been two hours and Sakura was already beginning to lose her mind staring at the same four walls. She genuinely felt boxed in, like the walls were closing in on her and she just-

She yelled something unintelligible, punching the mattress on each side of her thighs.

Sitting beside her bed in a hard, plastic seat, Itachi watched her closely before shutting his eyes, breathing out another sigh. Yes, her mood was probably annoying him, but like hell she was going to be held against her will without putting up a fight. If Tsunade was going to keep her on lockdown, then she was going to yell and scream about it. She was going to throw a tantrum. Why?

Because it was all she could do.

Going against her shishou was not something Sakura wanted to do – even if she _was_ getting stronger than Tsunade, it was downright disrespectful to go against the woman who refused to give up on her when everyone else had.

"You don't have to stay," she told him bluntly.

Dark eyes languidly opened and he raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to stay?"

If she said no, would he leave her?

A smile pulled at his lips and he stood, walking the two steps that were between the chair and her bed before he sat down on the edge of it. It was ridiculous how happy it made her when he reached out and brushed the stray strands of hair away from her eyes, pushing them behind her ear.

"If you think you can endure my presence, I would like to stay."

Shyly, she returned his smile. It still felt surreal that he was even willing to give 'them' a try, that he would really go against the wishes of his clan to be with her. Oh, there was no doubt in Sakura's mind that they would cause a problem for him – all the women who'd been presented to him as possible brides were all Uchiha, and Satsuki's story was still very much to the front of her mind, reminding her of how she'd been disowned for choosing to marry a non-Uchiha.

If they were to go public, what would that mean for him? As he was patriarch, wouldn't that mean Itachi was immune to being disowned? Or would the elders of his clan band together and overthrow him? Would his parents allow that to happen? Would his clansmen? The last thing Sakura wanted to do was cause any hostility towards the man she loved. He already had so much to deal with.

"What is it?" Itachi asked, voice soft. "You look lost in your thoughts."

She frowned. "What are we going to… say?"

Fortunately for her, it was all she had to say for him to understand what she meant. Not for the first time, he sighed. There was a flash of annoyance for the briefest of seconds, but it didn't seem to be aimed at her.

"It would be best to inform the clan elders first," he told her with a faint tone of reluctance. Surely, she was just hearing that, though? "Our display earlier will have caused a lot of gossip already, however, before anything is confirmed, I would like to confront the elders and inform them of my choice to be with you."

It was only fair, she supposed. "And then we can go on our first date?"

His smile returned and Itachi took her hand, making her heart do strange things when he told her, "The first of many."

They were interrupted by the sound of someone huffing with amusement and when their eyes darted to the door, which was now opened (she didn't understand how they _both_ managed to miss that), they saw Uchiha Shisui's warm eyes on their joined hands.

He folded his arms over his chest, leaning back against the doorjamb as he smirked, saying, "It's about time."

At least she wasn't the only one who blushed.

"So, does this mean there are no more misunderstandings?" he asked and stepped into the room, quietly sliding the door shut behind himself.

Sakura bit her lip as she watched him sit in Itachi's earlier seat. "I hope so."

They both looked up at Itachi, who said to them, "I owe you both an apology. It was wrong of me to jump to conclusions the way I did."

"Yes, it was," Shisui replied simply.

"But you had your reasons," Sakura argued. "You-"

"Don't make excuses for me." Itachi settled her with a stern expression and she pursed her lips. "I am…" For a moment, he seemed almost lost for words and something in Shisui's expression told her to wait for him, to not try and push him. Soon enough, he found what he wanted to say, telling her, "I am ashamed with myself for the way I have treated you, Sakura."

Their hands were still joined, though because of the angle, they were hidden from Shisui's curious gaze. She assumed it was because of that, that Itachi gently squeezed her hand.

"However, I will make it up to you." His eyes drifted over to Shisui's. "I will find a way to make it up to both of you."

The older Uchiha offered a small smirk, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I take it something extreme happened on your mission."

It wasn't a question and all Itachi replied with was the activating of his sharingan, was the morphing of his mangekyō that had Shisui's indifferent expression cracking. Sakura already knew why. She already knew that he was seeing an older version of Itachi, was reliving his memories all over again. It had been the same for herself, when she thought back on what those eyes looked like while activated.

They were terrifying, but they fought hard to keep that from showing on their faces. The last thing their Itachi needed was to be made to feel unsure of the new power his eyes held. He needed their support. Unlike the other Itachi's world, his new power wasn't due to the loss of his best friend. Instead, it was…

Well, she didn't even know why. Not exactly, anyway.

"The odds weren't too great," Sakura mumbled. Gods, it hurt just thinking about how close they'd all come to dying. "Genma-sensei and Raidō-san were both down – well, we thought they were dead at first, but we couldn't do anything because there were just _so many of them._"

Again, the hand holding hers gave a gentle squeeze, silently telling her that it was going to be okay. Then Itachi spoke up, saying to Shisui, "I had already run out of chakra and was unknowingly using Sakura's reserves through her connection with Katsuyu."

If Shisui was surprised by Itachi's easy admission, then it didn't show. Instead, he listened intently, featured set in a grim mask, as he continued the story of how their mission had gone. It seemed his mangekyō had been awakened by the overwhelming feeling of failure, of them not making it home _just_ as things were slowly working out for them.

More than anything, he had wanted to try for 'them'.

More than anything, he had wanted her to live.

And that was what had his sharingan ascending to a whole new level, one that both scared the crap out of her and left her in awe of the power they radiated. His want to continue living, his want for them both to finally, _finally_, do something that would be viewed as completely selfish and out of character for them. They would be putting their relationship _before_ being shinobi – something that was strictly against the shinobi rules.

"I'm glad you're both home safely," Shisui said sincerely. "And I am even happier that you are finally letting her in, Itachi."

He nodded once.

"Even Sasuke is going to be happy to hear about your relationship."

Itachi blinked in surprise and Sakura burst into laughter, unable to hold back her agreement of, "He was getting so angry with you."

"He was?" He seemed genuinely taken aback by their words. "Why?"

Her laughter died away to a nervous chuckle and she looked away from his questioning gaze, instead staring at the clean white walls. "Sasuke-kun was… kind of the one who pushed me into confessing to you." She smiled a small smile. "And he was really angry every time you…"

Hurt her.

"I see," he murmured, still in a state of shock.

"Either way, we'll all be happy for you both," Shisui said firmly, forcing the reminders of how many times he'd hurt her from their minds. "You both deserve happiness."

Again, she blushed.

In a weak attempt to change the subject, Sakura asked cheekily, "So where is my gift?"

"Your gift?"

She nodded, smiling. "I'm in hospital and you've come to visit me. It's customary that you bring me a gift."

Much to her surprise, Shisui seemed sheepish as he scratched the side of his face, smiling as he told her, "Actually, the elders have been on my back all afternoon about finding Itachi. I was following his chakra and ended up here."

Admirably, Itachi didn't even bat an eyelash. He didn't sigh with annoyance or allow his frustration to show. Even though he'd only been home a few hours and had spent those hours in the hospital with her rather than in his home, getting washed up and resting, he still accepted his responsibility and remained calm about it.

"They wish to see me."

"Yes." He sighed. "They're not pleased with the mission you were given and have been causing trouble for Hokage-sama."

It was reluctantly that she released his hand when Itachi stood, though couldn't deny that she missed the warmth of his hand. The feeling of it surrounding hers, their fingers entwined, helped to ease the loneliness in her heart. As he made to leave, Shisui also stood and said his goodbyes to her, leaving first so that she and Itachi would have a few extra moments together.

She certainly wasn't complaining when he took full advantage of their moment alone, kissing her deeply and without restraint. His hand tangled in the back of her hair, the kiss leaving her breathless and full of want and in response, Sakura tried to pull him closer, tried to lift herself up and into him.

He breathed out a sigh against her lips and pulled away with obvious reluctance.

"I will see you shortly," he promised.

* * *

Hours later and he hadn't returned. Sakura did her best not to be put off by it, however, there was no denying the sliver of hurt that began to fester in her chest. She did her best to tell herself she was being ridiculous – Itachi was busy with the elders of his clan and that certainly wasn't going to take a few measly minutes – but it didn't work. The more time that dragged by, the more it hurt.

It didn't help that she was bored out of her mind, either. There were failed attempts at falling asleep, mainly due to the fact that her body just didn't want to wind down, but also because there was so much noise outside her room. Some utter idiot was allowing their children to run riot around the hospital and just when she was certain they'd left her floor, they came running back, screeching and laughing.

Sakura growled with annoyance and slapped her hand to her forehead. Damn it. When had she become an old, grumpy woman? They were _only_ playing! Then again, it was a hospital. Children weren't supposed to play in the hospital and their parents were most definitely not supposed to allow that to happen.

What was even more annoying was the fact her leg was in a ridiculous cast, when it could have been healed in a matter of minutes, had she been able to use her chakra. It was bulky and heavy and uncomfortable and _damn it_, she had the worst kind of itch right below her knee and she couldn't even reach it!

Tsunade was just as ridiculous as the cast on her leg. Her decision to keep her in this… this _hellhole_ was taking her away from missions that could potentially benefit, or even save, Konoha. Why couldn't she see that? This place-

Wait.

Green eyes slid over to the door of her room.

It had gone too quiet out there.

While uncomfortable, it wasn't impossible to drag her ass out of bed and she reached for the crutches that weren't too far from where she'd been laying, taking a few moments to adjust herself on them.

Frowning, Sakura limped into the hall, doing her best not to put too much weight onto her leg as she leaned on the crutches. The second she caught sight of the young girl collapsed on the ground, however, she forgot all about the pain in her leg as she threw herself beside her, eyes wide with horror. Behind her, the crutches clattered to the ground.

"Medics," Sakura yelled, turning the girl onto her back.

There was nothing lodged in her throat, she immediately noticed after checking her airways and she quickly checked her pulse, biting her lip. It was sluggish and weak before stuttering, falling silent, making her own heart skip a beat out of fear. The poor girl looked no older than five, dressed in civilian clothes and from the sound of the laughter and screeches earlier, Sakura was willing to bet she'd been running through the halls and had fallen. There were no adults around, however and there was no second child playing with her like she'd originally thought. Was she alone?

"Can you hear me?" she asked. "Open your eyes for me if you can hear me."

Since she didn't respond to her checking her airways and didn't respond to her questions, not wasting any time, she began chest compressions, adjusting her strength to make sure none of her enhanced strength leaked through in her startled state. Not that she could really use it, without much chakra.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura pinched the girl's nose shut and leaned down, breathing air into her lungs.

"Come on, sweetie," she pleaded and returned to chest compressions, her eyes stinging. "Medics!"

Why were they taking so long? Damn it, why did her reserves have to be so low?

_"Medics!"_ Sakura screamed loudly.

_Damn it, she was just a child!_

There was no time!

Straightening her palm, she focused hard on her chakra, using an element she had absolutely no experience in using. It was risky, even riskier due to being so low on chakra, but she had no other choice. The girl wasn't responding to anything else and the medics were taking too long.

She slapped her hand to the girl's chest, sending a shock wave straight to her heart.

_Beat! Please, beat!_


	42. You Are My Saviour

**Chapter 42**

**You Are My Saviour**

* * *

It was going against everything he believed in, against everything he'd learned growing up.

Instead of turning his back on the uncertainty, Itachi embraced it. There was no telling where his relationship with Haruno Sakura would take them, but he was willing to follow that path blindly. Even if it ended in failure, in utter heartbreak, he was willing to risk having his heart broken.

She was… more than worth it.

There was a nervousness bubbling in the pit of his stomach, a fear settling into his heart at the thought of it ending in tragedy. It could end with one of their deaths, possibly even both (though, Itachi admitted to himself, it would more than likely be hers since he was now patriarch of his clan, meaning he was less likely to be sent out on missions). His head was begging of him to shut it down, to walk away while he still could. His heart, however, was telling him he was ready to try one last time. It was willing him to open his heart to another one last time. If it ended-

No, it wasn't going to end badly. Sakura had proven on several occasions now that she wasn't going anywhere and not just physically. For reasons he couldn't even begin to comprehend, she still loved him and continued to stand by his side, offering her silent support. After all he'd put her through, Itachi had been certain he'd lost her for good, but she proved him wrong each and every time by continuing to stand tall despite the weight of his rejection growing on her shoulders, trying to drag her down.

He knew he didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve her love or her unwavering loyalty and devotion. However, he was determined on bettering himself for her. All the times he'd hurt her and rejected her, Itachi was going to make up for them.

Before their mission, they managed to somewhat clear the air. Not only were they open with each other, but it was the first time in a long time that he'd been so open with anyone and it… felt better than amazing opening up to her. It felt better than anything he could have imagined.

Then that mess of a mission…

Itachi had been certain that they weren't going to return from it. He'd truly believed that he'd finally met his match, had finally entered a battle he wouldn't be able to finish. What made it worse was that Sakura was with him.

There were so many things she'd yet to experience, so much that he'd taken away from her after he selfishly 'suggested' that their Hokage promoted her to ANBU. Yes, it had been selfish. He only had Konoha's best interests in mind when he mentioned her name to Minato, not thinking for a second how it would affect her life. All he'd seen was a great asset, someone who could make a huge difference to their village. He had never regretted a decision more, but at the same time, he was so very glad she accepted the promotion.

How different would his life be without Haruno Sakura?

It would be dull, that was for sure. When Sakura was around, there was never a dull moment. Just her smile could light up the room, could light up his world and make that ever-present darkness in his heart fade.

She was… like his own personal saviour. As foolish as that probably sounded, it was true. It was like she was his own little saviour, using her brilliant light to brighten up his entire world, even when he himself believed it was too dark for him to ever find the end of the tunnel. She gave him a reason to continue fighting, to continue bettering himself. It was all for her, his saviour.

Yes, it definitely sounded foolish.

"Itachi-sama!"

He looked up when the elder raised his voice and stared the man down. There was a pause, one where he and the others did their best to stand their ground against him. They tried to hold onto their anger, to their defiance, but a simple glare from Itachi had them backing down, just as they always did. Like his father said: they feared him. To them, he was unpredictable and now that he was patriarch, he held a fearsome amount of power over them all. A single word and they would be disowned from the clan. A single jutsu and they would never use their sharingan again.

Of course, he believed that jutsu was barbaric. Sadly, in some cases, it was necessary. It was rarely ever used and never taught to any of the Uchiha who didn't belong to the main family – not including Shisui, whose eyes were powerful enough to read the stone tablet and decipher all he needed to know to learn jutsu such as that. Itachi had yet to inform his parents that Shisui knew that jutsu and knew in his heart that he would never tell them. He'd had to silence Izumi from saying anything about it, too. Ordered it of her, in fact.

"Your display with that girl-"

"That girl?" Itachi questioned. "I believe she has a name."

He probably looked at ease sitting at his desk, probably looked as though he didn't have a care in the world. That wasn't truly the case, however. It seemed, after first awakening the mangekyō, the user went through a phase of heightened emotion – or, at least, he was hoping it to be a phase. Or was it natural to feel so… angered at the way people spoke of the woman he cared for in such a condescending way? Like she didn't matter?

"She is-"

"Senju Tsunade-sama's first and only apprentice," he stated lowly. "She is a woman who has overcome many obstacles in her lifetime and will overcome many more."

What he liked most about Haruno Sakura was her ability to get up and fight, despite being so weary and broken. He loved that she didn't simply climb or move any mountains that got in her way, but reduced them to rubble. Every obstacle he had thought would knock her down, she destroyed it.

She was nothing short of amazing.

"She is only seventeen years of age and has already given so much for our village, has already done an admirable amount for the benefit of our village." His eyes narrowed fractionally and beneath the desk that was once his father's, Itachi's fists clenched. "Do not speak lowly of her in my presence."

"Itachi-sama, you…!"

At the continued defiance in their eyes, he allowed his own to morph into their new design and was unmoved by the cracks in their anger as they each took a step back, eyes wide in horror and fear.

"As of today, and for as long as she will have me, Haruno Sakura is the woman I have chosen to court and one day, she will rule this clan by my side. If you cannot accept this, then I am sure there are apartments available outside the district, where you will live the rest of your days as Uchiha who were disowned by their clan."

And, one by one, like the cowards he'd always known they were, they slowly bowed to him. They didn't respect his decision and he knew they disagreed with his choice to marry outside the clan, especially as patriarch, but they knew not to push him.

It was much too soon to be deciding on marrying Sakura, or her becoming matriarch of the clan, but Itachi certainly wouldn't have become involved with her without seeing a future with her. Even if it took them a while to reach that place, they would get there eventually.

She deserved nothing less.

* * *

"You certainly put the fear of the Gods into them this time, Itachi," Mikoto said lightly as she washed the dishes. "I don't believe I have ever seen them leave the study in such haste."

At the table, they sat quietly eating their lunch. Itachi had promised he would return to the hospital after dealing with the elders, however, he still had one last thing to do before he returned to Sakura: he had to inform his parents on the latest developments. If he was going to commit to Sakura – no, _when_ he committed to Sakura, he was going to make sure it was one hundred percent. There would be no sneaking around behind the backs of his family or the elders. She meant too much to him to be treated like a concubine.

His brother sat silently by his side, eating slowly. There were extra helpings of tomatoes for him, but he didn't seem to have the appetite for them. Had he heard of Sakura's return? Did he know she was in the hospital?

"What did you say to them?" asked his father.

Itachi had never thought the day would come where he would be happy to have his father sitting opposite him at the dinner table. Growing up, he'd always hoped Fugaku would be too busy to eat with them, to talk with them or even see them. Now, though, he admired the man sitting opposite him. In the past few months, he'd come a long way, learning lessons he had no choice but to learn.

"They disliked my choice of courting Haruno Sakura."

Next to him, Sasuke choked on his rice.

His mother dropped the dish she was cleaning.

His father breathed out a weighty sigh.

"Y-You and…?"

Noticing that Sasuke was still choking, Itachi patted him firmly on the back until the food was dislodged. His brother breathed in large gulps of air greedily and he held back the warning of making himself dizzy. Instead, he watched the reactions of his family. They appeared mostly shocked.

Slowly, like moving too fast would cause a negative reaction, Mikoto approached the table and sat down beside her husband, worriedly glancing up at him. After losing his sight, she'd been much more open with her expressions – something that was… strangely nice to see.

"How?" Sasuke demanded, not unkindly. "Just the other day, you rejected her. She was a wreck because of you, Itachi."

He sighed, shutting his eyes and lowering his chopsticks to his plate. "I know."

"Then what changed your mind?" he questioned. He could feel the gazes of his brother and mother on him and knew that, had his father been able to, he would have been staring, too. "Sakura said you were adamant in your decision."

"I thought so," Itachi replied and opened his eyes. "However, I have grown tired of giving up so much for the sake of our clan and the village."

Mikoto frowned. "Are you saying you pushed away your chance of happiness…?"

"Yes."

"And you were making Sakura miserable in the process," Sasuke snapped.

"I know."

Something in his voice or his expression must have revealed more than he'd wanted, because his brother held back in saying any more. It looked like he wanted to continue telling him just how miserable he'd made Sakura, but he stopped himself. How much did Sasuke know? How much could he read into his expression? Itachi wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Then you had better make it up to her."

They were all stunned by Fugaku's words.

"Father," Itachi murmured, unable to say anything else.

A warm smile pulled on Mikoto's lips as she looked at her husband, seeming more cheerful than she had in months. "I agree," she said firmly and turned back to him, expression becoming serious, yet still warm. "I raised you much better than to break a young girl's heart, Itachi."

He couldn't help but frown. "You don't disapprove?"

It felt surreal. Surely it wasn't that easy gaining their approval? Itachi had been certain they'd go against him due to Sakura not being an Uchiha. Others had been disowned for less. Then again, it wasn't necessarily from the clan that they were disowned – it was by their parents, meaning they no longer held the Uchiha name. Did they wrongly assume they were no longer Uchiha? Itachi made a mental note to look further into it and if that was the case, he would personally go to each of the Uchiha who'd been disowned and request that they returned to the clan, if they wished.

"No," Fugaku replied and folded his arms over his chest. Despite losing his sight and his most prized weapon, his father still held the air of a proud man. "You are our patriarch now, Itachi. If you wish to marry outside of the clan, then that is your decision. I do, however, advise you to be wary of the reaction from our clansmen."

"Of course," he replied.

Smiling faintly, Mikoto added, "If Haruno Sakura is truly the woman you wish to be with, Itachi, then we will stand by you and your decision."

He returned her smile.

"We would also like to meet her as the woman you are courting," his mother then said.

"Understood." Before that, however, there was still one last thing he had to show them. "I would like to inform you of one last development, however."

"Oh?"

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

Breathing out a sigh, Itachi showed them his mangekyō. For once, he didn't fear their reaction. Even when his mother's eyes widened in surprise, or when he heard Sasuke's breath leave him like somebody had punched him in the stomach. Previously, he'd always feared _their_ fear of him – no, not entirely feared, more like worried about it, if that was the right word. Being feared by his own family was painful. He'd always been different, in their eyes. He knew he was.

"The mangekyō," Mikoto said aloud for her husband. "Our son has…"

"Itachi," he murmured, clearly shocked.

His brother's eyes suddenly widened a fraction, faintly twitching. Itachi assumed he was remembering how one awakened the mangekyō sharingan – it happened after the death of the person closest to them.

"Sakura?"

Why did it feel impossible looking Sasuke in the eye all of a sudden? Was it because of the harsh words he'd said inside of the bunker in the desert many months ago? Was it because he'd promised to always look out for Sakura?

"She is in the hospital, though making a fast recovery." He shut his eyes, deactivating his sharingan and around him, he felt the others relax. He did, too. The power he could feel from the mangekyō… Was it wrong to fear his own power? "I cannot go into detail about the mission." Telling Shisui had been a mistake, but it felt wrong not telling him of the latest developments. "However, the odds weren't in our favour."

"In the hospital…" It was like Sasuke couldn't catch his breath, his dark eyes fixating onto the table. There was a faint tremble in his clenched fists, which he kept hidden from view of their mother. "Even with her reserves?"

His disbelief was understandable. Sakura's reserves had always seemed so limitless, like she would never have to use every last drop of chakra. To know that the mission drained her reserves completely, to the point where she was admitted into hospital rather than healing herself, would startle anyone who knew of her and her abilities. To her friends and family, it would be terrifying.

When she fainted, it was from overusing her ordinary chakra – keeping in mind, it had nothing to do with her reserves. Sasuke had informed him previously that Sakura had an awful habit of reserving too much of her ordinary chakra, which always led to chakra depletion. It was only when she opened the gates to her reserves (if that was how she pictured it in her mind), that she had access to them.

"Yes."

"I can't believe Hokage-sama sent you on a mission like that," Mikoto murmured. "You are our patriarch now."

Itachi sighed once more. "I was given the option of declining the mission."

"Then why did you accept it?" his father demanded. "The clan needs you alive, Itachi."

Opening his eyes, he regarded his family again. They were sat rigidly, backs ramrod straight and expressions tense, their entire beings conveying their anxiety to him. To others, they probably seemed as aloof and unmoving as they usually did, however, he had grown up with them, so knew each and every one of their tells. It was all about learning what made people tick. He learned to focus on their chakra and aura to get an understanding on how they were feeling. After that, everything else was easy to spot.

"The village needs me, also," he countered simply. "This mission was ranked higher than s-ranked, meaning they needed shinobi experienced in missions of that ranking. I am one of those shinobi." When his mother looked ready to argue, Itachi silenced her by saying, "Had I said no, Mother, there is no doubt in my mind Sakura and the others who accompanied us would be dead. I am by no means boasting about my own skill, but if it wasn't for my sharingan, we all would have died before the battle even begun."

The shaking of Sasuke's fists was more noticeable now. His dark eyebrows mashed together, teeth gritting harshly. His emotions were palpable even to their father, who immediately tilted his head in his youngest son's direction.

"Now, if you will excuse me," Itachi said and stood. "I promised Sakura I would return to her after dealing with the elders."

"Wait, Itachi."

He turned back to the table, waiting silently.

Sasuke stood, too. Unsurely, he glanced up at him, still very much consumed with the weight of his emotions. Itachi wondered if his younger brother would ever get the hang of truly masking them. It really did give you an edge in battle when your enemy was unable to read your expressions, therefore unable to predict your next move.

"I want you to suggest to Minato that I join ANBU, like you did Sakura."

* * *

As expected at that time of evening, the hospital waiting room was busy. Many shinobi littered the area, some worse off than others. It was clear who'd come from a mission and who was there after a training session gone wrong. There was also the odd civilian, but they rarely needed immediate medical assistance. They lived sheltered lives in comparison to shinobi, mainly due to Konoha being one of the safest hidden villages to live in. Extremely sheltered lives.

There were several medics crowded around the long reception desk. One medic in particular appeared to take control of the rest of them, her long black hair tied neatly into a braid that reached her hips. She sat in one of the swivel chairs, leaning back comfortably as she read a magazine. Itachi couldn't help but think childishly that he wished Tsunade would enter at that moment.

And then that was when he heard it.

A cry for help.

"Mai-san, we really should go and check on her."

"Just ignore her," the medic, now known as Mai, replied flippantly, turning a page in her magazine. "She's been screaming all day to get our attention." Rolling her hazel eyes, she added, "Tsunade-sama is trying to teach her a lesson, or something. Like hell I'm getting on _her_ bad side."

"_Medics!"_

Itachi's eyes narrowed.

That was Sakura.

He approached the desk, not even waiting until the pathetic excuse of a medic had pulled herself together before saying rudely, "There is clear panic in Sakura's voice and you're sitting here doing nothing?"

"We're on strict orders-"

"To not discharge Sakura or allow her to discharge herself," he snapped, patience already wearing thin. How could they ignore someone who was so clearly crying out for help? "You have not been ordered to ignore her. Have you read her files?"

"Well, no. Not yet. I-"

"Had better go and check on her," Itachi ordered coldly.

She scampered off without another word and he followed closely, only sparing the other medics a glower before he focused completely on walking the short distance to Sakura's room.

However, she wasn't in her room when they found her. She was outside with a little girl that he recognised from somewhere, performing what could only be described as the task of a defibrillator. He could clearly see the spark of the lightning element in the palm of her hand, continuously attempting to shock the child's heart into beating again. Her lack of chakra was making it a difficult task to complete.

"Sakura-senpai," Mai said loudly, though did not yell. While she'd been quick to ignore the cries for help, it was obvious she didn't want to be on her bad side. Itachi didn't blame her. "What happened?"

She was panting for breath, sweat dripping down her temple and Sakura was ghostly pale, worrying him greatly. As Mai took over, she informed her breathlessly on what had happened and how long she'd been working on her. It was during this that Itachi helped Sakura stand, allowing her to lean against him when she swayed.

"Medics!" Mai shouted.

The look on Sakura's face when they appeared almost instantly told him all he needed to know and seeing that the child was in capable hands, he gently guided her back to her room. She tried to stay, but the resistance lasted momentarily. It worried him that Sakura couldn't fight back, as her fiery nature was something he'd grown to enjoy.

"Get her back in her room!"

The new voice had the woman in his arms tensing. Hell, he would have done the same, had he been in her position.

A flash of blonde and green passed them before Mai was all but thrown away from the motionless child. The sight of Tsunade eased Sakura's worry somewhat and it gave him the chance to move her back into the room, shutting the door behind them.

"They…" She swallowed hard. "Nobody helped me."

It was disgusting and unforgivable and he would make sure Tsunade, who was in charge of the hospital, knew all about it. Yes, Sakura had been screaming and yelling to try and get some attention, to try and give them a reason to kick her out, but they should have noticed the genuine panic in her voice. They should have realised she needed assistance.

Again, she swayed and he held onto her tighter, watching her features worriedly. Still panting for breath and still pale, he grew all the more worried when she began trembling. Faintly, at first, but then more obviously, like her body was going into spasms, eyes rolling to the back of her head. Itachi quickly placed her down on the bed and held down her limbs, fearing she would harm herself with the rough jerks that shook her entire body. This had happened once before, he recalled. After Sakura saved them from a beast bomb, back in her home, she'd shook almost violently. For the duration of it, he'd held her still in his arms.

This was the second time it had happened.

"Her reserves are too low," somebody said from the doorway.

Dark eyes turned to the door. His panic must have been obvious because Shizune didn't hesitate and was by their sides in seconds.

"Her reserves are completely empty and she's tried using chakra that isn't there," she told him and joined in trying to hold her still. There was a sinking feeling in his gut that that was all they could do. "Meaning she used her life energy."

Memories of his first few training sessions flitted through his mind, reminding Itachi of the rules and safety precautions of chakra usage. His father, being the blunt man that he was, had told him rather simply that, should he attempt to use chakra he didn't have, he would die. He believed Kakashi had said something along the same lines to Sasuke, also.

"Sakura can't-"

"Move."

Why was Sakura suddenly so popular? Moments ago, nobody would help her. It was why she was fitting and so dangerously low on chakra. Now, Shizune had appeared out of nowhere, shortly followed by Sakura's two former teammates. Then again, Sasuke had only just found out she was in the hospital. It made sense for him to find Naruto first and then visit her.

There was a serious look in Naruto's blue eyes, one none of them had seen before. Warily, Itachi stepped aside, though didn't release Sakura's body, which was still convulsing and now locking up in some places. Shizune took a few moments longer to move and eventually slid onto the bed, pinning down the legs that would no doubt still deal a horrific amount of damage should they be kicked by them. Chakra or no chakra, Sakura was still strong.

"What are you going to do, Naruto-kun?" Shizune demanded, visibly struggling with Sakura. "You're not a medic."

"No, but I have more chakra than I'll ever need," he replied and approached the bed hurriedly. Shutting his eyes, he pressed a hand over Sakura's heart, expression one of extreme concentration. "Kurama should…" His eyebrows knitted together harshly. "_There!"_

Abruptly, red chakra began to coat Sakura's body, seemingly seeping into her skin and slowly, ever so slowly, the convulsing began to stop. Her breathing returned to normal, colour returning to her cheeks. Weakly, green eyes opened, searching around the room until they slipped shut once more.

"How did you know that would work?" Itachi questioned as he released her, watching Shizune check her pulse. At her nod of confirmation, he glanced over to Naruto.

"I didn't," said Naruto sheepishly and he grinned. "I just remembered what my dad said about when I was born. Kurama's chakra managed to stop whatever defect I had that was causing me to fit, so I thought I'd give it a try." Shrugging, he looked down to Sakura, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. "Her reserves were bone dry, man. What happened?"

"A mission."

"That's all?"

"It ranked higher than s-ranked, Naruto," Sasuke countered snappishly.

Shizune stepped away from the bed, still frowning. "I will assign a medic to watch over Sakura and will regularly check up on her myself. Tsunade-sama was leaving and filling me in on Sakura's situation when we heard a commotion, you see."

He didn't care to listen to excuses. He-

No. Itachi shut his eyes and nodded, accepting Shizune's words. He couldn't allow one uncaring medic to warp his views on the others, the ones who worked themselves to the bone trying to make a difference, the medics like Sakura, who gave their all, who gave their entire being, to save lives. Even while exhausted, even though she had no chakra at all, Sakura had still tried to save the child, using her life energy to do so.

"How is the child?" he asked. At the very least, she would have good news to wake up to. She had to. Shizune sighed deeply, appearing troubled and behind her, Naruto and Sasuke exchanged startled glances, prompting him to clarify, "A child collapsed outside the room. Sakura tried to heal her."

"And risked her life doing so," Shizune said disapprovingly. Reaching down, she brushed the hair away from Sakura's features in a way that reminded him of the time Tsunade did the same thing. Like the older woman, Shizune looked worried, though did her best to mask it. "Silly girl. I haven't had the chance to thank you yet for bringing my husband home to me."

When tears threatened to fill her eyes, she quickly stood and excused herself, quietly shutting the door behind her.

Itachi grabbed the chair and sat beside Sakura, watching her closely for a moment until he regarded the two boys. There was a subtle shake of Sasuke's head, informing him that no, he hadn't told Naruto about his relationship with Sakura. It was for the best. She would want to tell him herself, as they all knew he still had strong feelings for her. No doubt Sakura would be angry with him for telling Naruto. She would want to let him down gently.

That was the only reason why he didn't take her hand like he had earlier that day. Instead, it rested lonely on the bed. The shaking had stopped completely now, but he found the stillness oddly disturbing and uncomfortable to look at.

Sakura was one of those people who was always doing something. Whether it was training or healing or going on missions, she never allowed herself to have a break. Even while resting, she was doing something – mainly reading scrolls on jutsu she could learn, learning all the knowledge she'd need before practising them. It was something he admired. Without that stubborn trait, she wouldn't have become half the woman she was now.

Without that stubborn trait, she would have given up on him long ago.

There was hesitancy as Naruto stepped closer to the bed again, sitting on the edge of it. He was frowning deeply, blue eyes clearly troubled. Itachi had no intentions of easing him of whatever was weighing him down. Anything other than Sakura's recovery was unimportant.

Saying that, he knew he would have to speak with the elders again at some point.

"What did Shizune-nee-chan mean?" Naruto asked him. "What happened to Genma-sensei?"

Behind them, Sasuke shifted, debating on leaving or joining them. Only a handful of seconds went by before he'd come to his decision, walking around the bed and sitting on Sakura's right side. He didn't look as troubled as Naruto, but Itachi could still tell he wanted answers.

"I cannot go into details on what our mission required us to do," he murmured, eyes going back to Sakura's face. Each of their eyes continued to trail up to her forehead, to the place where her seal was supposed to be, but wasn't. "However, the enemy was able to locate us and managed to strike Genma-san and Raidō-san down. It wasn't until after the battle that I learned it was the same jutsu that killed her friend, Yamanaka-san."

Not even Sasuke could mask his horror, dark eyes nearly as wide as Naruto's. The pair paled, staring at him in shock and horror until their eyes returned to Sakura's face.

It… warmed his heart how Sasuke took her right hand, not sparing him another glance as he focused entirely on her.

"That'll mess with her head," Naruto muttered, both hands holding her left hand securely, like he was trying to tell her he would be there for her, that she wasn't alone. "You have no idea how long it took her to get over Ino's death."

"Get over it?" Sasuke demanded angrily, eyes snapping to Naruto's. "She's still not over it."

"You…!"

"If you are going to argue, I suggest you leave," Itachi ordered calmly. He ignored their expressions of rage and disbelief. "Sakura is recovering and doesn't need to be stressed out."

Still, the blond looked aggravated, mumbling, "Sakura-chan is doing loads better now."

Sasuke also ignored his order, going back to glaring at Naruto. "She's good at hiding things, idiot. Go to her apartment and you'll see what I mean."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, returning the glare fiercely.

It was like the mere thought of Sakura hiding things from him upset him greatly, like he'd been disrespected or lied to. Itachi supposed he had, in a way, as he knew exactly what Sasuke was talking about – the altar. To others, she probably seemed over Yamanaka Ino's death already.

He also knew what Sakura meant by being drained after spending a day with 'her boys'. They were at each other's throats already, and it hadn't even been ten minutes since they arrived. Itachi couldn't begin to imagine what a whole day with them was like.

"She's built a fucking altar for her!"

"She-"

"How Sakura chooses to pay her respects for Yamanaka-san has nothing to do with any of us," Itachi cut Naruto off. When they both went to argue, he settled them with a glare, one that instantly had Sasuke backing off. Naruto, on the other hand, did his best to glare back at him, but Itachi saw the wariness in his eyes behind the glare. "Being in high demand means there is little to no time for herself and by building the altar, she is trying to show that she hasn't forgotten her friend."

His brother narrowed his eyes at him, wanting to argue with him, but wisely held his tongue and instead looked away angrily.

"What makes you think you know her?"

The muttered response from Naruto took Itachi by surprise, he wouldn't deny that. He'd expected for him to finally shut up, but apparently when it came to Sakura, he refused to back down. Would he become a problem for their relationship? Would his feelings get in the way? After a moment, Itachi shut the thoughts down. It was foolish to think of Uzumaki Naruto as a threat.

"What makes you think you can understand her?" he countered.

Sasuke's eyes returned to his face, this time widening in shock. He supposed it was understandable, for he was referring to the deaths of his own friends, something he never spoke about.

He knew the helplessness she felt about being unable to pay her respects by going to the cenotaph that held Yamanaka Ino's name, just as it held Tenma's, Shinko's and their sensei's. It seemed so easy to do, to simply walk up to the cenotaph and pray for the dead. However, it wasn't. Not when you were in high demand. That was why he understood Sakura's thoughts in building the altar. It was why he didn't question her and instead pieced together all he needed to know. Anything else, she would eventually tell him. Just as he would tell her of his own past.

A hesitant knock on the door interrupted any further conversation and Itachi glanced over his shoulder to see who it was. The woman entered warily, eyeing them all. It only took him a second to recognise her as Hyuuga Hinata.

"I heard Sakura-san was admitted," she offered weakly and looked down at the flowers in her hands. "I believed her to be awake, however."

Unlike her younger sister, Hanabi, Hinata was shy and reserved, though in no way weak willed. There was potential there. How did Itachi know that? Hyuuga Neji would never speak highly of someone who didn't deserve it. Sadly, not all agreed with him and so Hinata was stripped of her title as heir and it was handed down to Hanabi, who was undoubtedly the most powerful of the two. Neji easily surpassed the pair of them combined, but due to him being from the branch family, he was unable to become the patriarch. Wasted potential, in Itachi's eyes. He would have been a fine leader.

"She was," Itachi replied and turned back to Sakura.

"I see," Hinata murmured. After a moment of thinking about it, she stepped forward and around them, placing the flowers into an empty vase that resided on the bedside table. Should he have already filled it with flowers? They were romantically involved now, after all. "It shouldn't be too long until she wakes," she told them, taking them by surprise. "Her chakra is steady, although…" Pale eyes glanced over to Naruto. "It is not her own chakra."

"Sakura-chan tried healing someone when she already had no chakra," Naruto answered the unspoken question.

Hinata looked displeased, though it only lasted for a few seconds. She looked around at the three men, hesitating again before saying, "Please tell her I visited her. If there is anything she needs, I can get it."

That would be helpful, actually. Itachi hadn't thought about things Sakura would need when she awoke. It would be hugely inappropriate of him to go through her belongings, especially since she would obviously need clean underwear and other things such as that.

"Do you know where she lives?" Hinata nodded. "If you would collect clean clothing for her, I know she would be grateful."

"Of course," she agreed. "I will return shortly."

With that, she left.

"I could've done that," Naruto mumbled after a few moments.

He resisted the childish urge to roll his eyes, though noticed Sasuke wasn't able to do the same.

* * *

Two days later and Sakura had yet to regain consciousness. Well, she slipped in and out of it, awake for only minutes at a time before sleeping once more. Tsunade had informed him it was only to be expected. She was utterly exhausted.

The child was saved, thankfully. An elderly woman had visited Sakura wanting to thank her, but didn't linger when she realised she was sleeping. The woman was familiar, though Itachi couldn't think of why. The child happened to be her grandchild, however, and had been visiting her in the hospital. It annoyed him that he couldn't figure out why she was familiar.

As much as he wanted to stay with Sakura, he knew he had responsibilities that required his attention. He spent the day being the patriarch of his clan, though at night, returned to Sakura's side. It left him tired and aching throughout the day, but it was usually during the night that she was awake. Even if it was only brief, he was able to be there for her, so she wouldn't wake up alone. She seemed to appreciate it greatly and it only confirmed in his mind that she was afraid of being alone.

Walking through his district, Itachi couldn't help but wonder how things with Sakura would work. She told him that she didn't mind coming second to his clan, however, he disagreed with that greatly. As he'd told her: when he committed to something, it would be one hundred percent. The same went for relationships, despite this being his first.

It left him at a loss. How did he divide his time to create a healthy balance between the clan, Sakura and time to take care of his basic needs, such as eating and sleeping? Then there was training. As patriarch, it was imperative that he stayed in great shape, always prepared for an attack. It was his duty to fight for and protect his clansmen.

He supposed he could train with Sakura. That would-

No. That wasn't classed as romantic, was it? Then again, they both enjoyed sparring. Itachi resisted the urge to rub his aching temple. When he agreed to give 'them' a try, he hadn't fully understood how difficult it would be to find time for 'them'.

"Well?"

He held back a sigh and continued walking, fully expecting her to keep up with him. She did. "Good afternoon, Izumi."

There was a visible tension in her posture, her expression a little _too_ hopeful to be considered completely genuine. "How did it go?"

They both knew she wasn't asking about the mission itself. "I decided to let her in."

She smiled at him, though not for a second did it reach her eyes. Itachi pretended not to notice, for he knew she wouldn't appreciate his apologies or pity. "I'm glad."

"Thank you for pushing me in the right direction," he said.

"Someone had to," came her light reply. "I simply hope I won't have to go all out again any time soon to try and teach you a lesson. It seems I still have a long way to go before I catch up to you."

That had always been the case. As arrogant as it seemed for him to admit to that, it was the truth and Izumi had accepted it long ago. She was by far one of the strongest females in their clan, even giving his mother a run for her money, but she relied heavily on intimidation tactics, hoping that it meant she wouldn't have to fight. Only a handful of Uchiha knew the truth behind her abilities, whereas the others believed her to match up to himself and Shisui.

Izumi was smart, though. There was no denying that. She made a big mystery out of her sharingan, which then put her opponents on edge when she activated it. They believed it to hold a great power, when in reality, she was simply messing with the heads of her enemies. Itachi wasn't ashamed to admit he'd fallen for it a couple of times. As he'd said: she was smart.

They rarely sparred, but they did often do target training together. So, when she had activated her sharingan after the confrontation with Shisui and Sakura, it was safe to say Itachi had been caught off guard. That was how she gained the advantage, by playing on her opponent's weaknesses. Sakura happened to have been a sore topic during the spar and she used her against him.

He supposed it was partly thanks to her that he decided to go for the relationship with Sakura.

"Are you going to visit her again?"

He nodded. It was late into the afternoon now, nearing evening. After dealing with the last of the issues the elders presented him with, Itachi had showered and changed, taking ten minutes to eat the dinner his mother had prepared before leaving. She had also ordered that he took the leftovers to Sakura, just in case she woke up long enough to eat something.

"Tell her to hurry up and get out of there," Izumi said. For a moment, he thought it was only for his sake, but could tell by simply looking into her eyes that she was being genuine. "She owes me a spar."

A spar? Instead of questioning Izumi, he nodded once, saying his goodbyes as they parted ways and he returned to the hospital. It would be entertaining to watch a spar between the two of them.

* * *

When Sakura next awoke, it was with such a start that even Itachi was taken by surprise. There was pure terror in her features, reminding him of how she'd awoken in the cave after their mission. Was she having nightmares from it?

He sat down beside her on the bed, taking her hand. Fortunately, Sakura was fully alert now, even if it was only from the horrors she'd been dreaming of. How did he know? Like that night in the cave, her eyes were a fraction wider, her skin paler than ever and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Not even his presence soothed whatever she'd seen in her dreams.

"I can't stop it."

The huskiness of her voice told him she needed a drink. Releasing Sakura's hand, he stood and poured a glass of water, taking a moment as she drank before asking, "You can't stop what?"

Green eyes continued to stare at the bed, still wider than usual. The only word he could use to describe them at that moment in time was exhausted. It was like something was haunting her, chipping away at her mentality and emotions. It reminded Itachi of the man she'd been discussing with Shisui, the person who had died protecting her.

Why did it fill him with dread?


	43. Don't You Give Up On Me

**Chapter 43**

**Don't You Give Up On Me**

* * *

She rarely spoke and when she did, it never made any sense to him. It didn't make sense to any of them.

Itachi was lost. He didn't know what to do or how he could help her. What made it worse was that Shisui was away on a mission, so he couldn't even ask the older Uchiha for advice.

Trying to be of some use to her, Itachi continued to visit her in the hospital. Each and every time, he expected her to be discharged – the Kyuubi's chakra had healed her leg and severe chakra depletion in a matter of minutes, meaning there was no real reason to keep her there. However, Tsunade refused to discharge her. She said there was something about her expression, about her aura, that she didn't like, something that scared her. It was ridiculous, he wanted to say. There was nothing wrong with Sakura other than exhaustion. But…

He'd seen it, too. Her eyes held a different story. They were the eyes belonging to someone who'd seen way too much. Horrors he couldn't even begin to imagine were hiding behind those eyes, but for the life of him, Itachi couldn't think of what horrors they were. After she joined ANBU, there were very few missions they hadn't gone on together.

Though, saying that, there was the one where she took out two Akatsuki members.

It was after that particular mission he'd found her crying into Shisui's chest in an alleyway just outside of the district. Somebody had died for her, hadn't they? While protecting her, someone had died. Was that what was causing her to look so haunted?

_What couldn't she stop?_

Itachi watched green eyes closely as he tried to converse with her, his own narrowing fractionally when he went ignored. What had happened since the night in the cave? Why was she suddenly shutting down? It made no sense. He recalled the way she broke down that night, how she clung to him like he was the only one capable of keeping her together. What if it hadn't been because of the mission, but instead triggered by it? It wasn't exactly unheard of. Many shinobi, both retired and still active, were affected by death in one way or another. Himself included.

"I've got to wait," she murmured with a frown. Inwardly, he also frowned. He hadn't said anything to her. "But…" Sakura's frown deepened until it was hidden in her knees, her arms coming around them in a way that reminded him of a child. "I don't think I can hold on any longer."

"Wait for what?" Itachi asked. He tried to sound comforting or, at the very least, understanding.

Green eyes peered at him through the safety of her arms and it made his chest ache to see that there were tears in her eyes. "You don't trust me."

What?

But, he couldn't deny it. It was foolish, he knew it was, but he couldn't trust her. With his life, without a doubt. With his heart… He was just learning to open his heart to her, to give 'them' a try. To trust her entirely with it was simply too much. It wasn't just because of the lies Izumi had told him of Sakura and Shisui being together – it went deeper than that.

"I am still learning-" Itachi cut himself off. It sounded more foolish out loud than it did in his head. "I am not used to being vulnerable around others, Sakura. In time-"

"Time."

It worried him when she began rocking, once more hiding her features from him.

"Sakura-"

A memory flashed to the front of his mind, making his eyes go wide.

* * *

_"He's not going to make it," she cried, shaking against him. "There isn't much time left!"_

* * *

Why hadn't he paid closer attention? Had she been talking about the man who saved her?

It felt like everything was slowly piecing together, but the biggest piece to the puzzle was still missing. Only Sakura was capable of giving that piece to him, as Itachi knew without asking that Shisui would never betray Sakura's trust. Whatever it was, was her secret to tell. Not Shisui's.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Itachi stood up from his chair and sat down on the foot of the bed, facing her and crossing his legs. It was the closest they'd been in days, as Tsunade had strongly advised keeping his distance physically. Had Sakura been like this before? He would have to ask either Tsunade or a member of Team Seven, he supposed.

"Sakura."

Just as slowly as he had, she lifted her head, resting her chin on her arms. The once bright green eyes now appeared lifeless and the slouch of her posture made it seem like the weight of the world was resting on Sakura's shoulders. Itachi wished, more than anything, that he could lighten that burden for the woman who'd become his light in the dark. However, he couldn't do that unless she let him in.

It was kind of ironic, wasn't it?

"It may take me a while to feel comfortable opening myself up to you, but know that that doesn't mean you can't open up to me," he told her, even though he felt hypocritical saying such things. Why should he expect her to open up to him when he couldn't do the same? "If something is bothering you, know that you can tell me about it."

At the very least, he would be able to listen to her. She could get it off her chest.

But instead of telling him anything, Sakura looked away stubbornly with teary eyes, shaking her head. "I couldn't believe it," she mumbled brokenly. "What makes you think you will?"

Now his mind truly was beginning to run away with itself. Countless scenarios played out in his head, showing him of all the different unbelievable situations that Sakura found herself in. Itachi liked to believe he was an open person who could listen patiently while someone told him a story. Was that the truth, though? What if he heard Sakura's and, as she said, couldn't believe a word of it? It could potentially ruin anything and everything between them.

"All I can promise is to try," he replied quietly. "Something major is bothering you, Sakura. Allow me to help you." When all he got in return was silence, he sighed, almost whispering, "Please let me help you."

Because the longer she stayed like that, the more helpless and angry with himself he felt.

He felt like he was losing her before he even had the chance to have her, to experience what it was like to be with her.

* * *

As promised, a week after careful consideration, Itachi requested to speak with their Hokage about Sasuke's future as a shinobi.

When he wasn't with Sakura, he had taken an hour to spar with Sasuke and he was proud to discover his brother had come a long way since their fight, the one right before his first ever mission with Sakura, when she had told him so very eloquently to go and screw himself.

His younger brother was more calculating now and wisely went over his strategies before attacking. There were several moments where Itachi was genuinely surprised to find himself backed into a corner, and couldn't help but to feel proud of his brother for the growth in strength. He'd told him as such, poking his forehead teasingly and promising that they would spar again another time. This time, he meant it. He wanted to continue watching Sasuke's growth, sharing jutsu with him that Itachi had previously thought him to be too impatient and reckless to learn, and techniques that required a great amount of speed to successfully execute.

"Itachi-san," Minato greeted politely once the doors were shut behind him. "You are looking well. How is Sakura-chan?"

Not good, he wanted to tell him. Pushing her promotion to ANBU had been a mistake.

"Much better, Hokage-sama," he lied. The last thing Sakura would want was for him to tell Minato about her… Was it a mental breakdown? Was that what he was supposed to call it?

"Good," he said, though the smile didn't entirely meet his eyes. Ah. Did he know already about Sakura's mental well-being? "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I would like to recommend two promotions for ANBU."

"Two?" Minato questioned. He looked stunned. "They must be impressive. You haven't made any recommendations since Sakura-chan."

"I believe so," Itachi told him, dismissing the last sentence. "While I haven't sparred with one of the men, I have watched them spar together and believe it would be best to keep the team together."

There was a knowing look in his blue eyes, the eyes that saw through so many walls and guards. It didn't matter how emotionless one tried to appear, because Minato would always see through that front. He'd said as much when they fought hard to keep the peace between the village and his clan, telling Itachi to stop bottling everything up.

"Are you sure they are ready for ANBU?" he asked.

There was no accusation in his tone. No demand to know what the hell was going through his mind to suggest such a thing, like he knew Sakura would have. Instead, Minato was looking at the situation with the eyes of a leader. In his mind, Itachi knew that he would be going through pros and cons of promoting the two men to ANBU. It was what he would have done, had he been Hokage.

"Yes. I believe Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto would be good assets for ANBU, on the condition that they are placed onto my former squad."

His Hokage's eyes narrowed fractionally, reading his ulterior motives like they were written all over his face. It was unnerving, though Itachi supposed he'd grown used to it by now.

"I'm afraid the squad would be far too large and conspicuous," he replied after a pause. Sitting straighter in his chair, Minato then offered, "However, I have been thinking of recruiting more squads to work directly under myself alone, rather than myself and the elders."

That was a wise decision, Itachi silently agreed. After all that had happened in the past, he still had a difficult time answering to the council, though it had become easier once Danzo disappeared. To keep the peace and not give them any more reasons to despise his clan, he continued to act respectful towards them and follow their orders until Minato placed him into a different squad.

"What do you think, Itachi-san?" he asked. "It is important that I ask my advisers for their opinions, after all."

It still felt surreal being one of the Hokage's advisers. After retiring from ANBU in order to focus entirely on becoming patriarch, Minato had asked him if he would like a place on his council. Of course, it wasn't the same one as the elders. Like with his ANBU squad, they were working in the shadows. They were working directly for the Hokage with Konoha's best interests at heart. As well as himself, Kakashi and Obito were advisers, also. So was Minato's wife, but she had a place on the official council, too.

"It would be imperative to keep the number of squads small," Itachi responded after a moment of careful thought. "Should the elders catch wind of the ANBU squads, as well as your second council, they will grow suspicious of our intentions."

While those intentions were pure, allowing them to find out about the secret ANBU and council was too risky. The worst-case scenario was that they met with the Daimyō and stressed that they believed the village was in danger, essentially putting the nation in danger, also. It would be disastrous if the Daimyō became involved in the situation, especially if he sided with the elders. At the very least, Minato would be stripped of his title as Hokage. There was no telling who would become the next Hokage, either. It could be someone twice as bad as Danzo.

"I agree." Folding his hands together on the desk, Minato told him, "I also agree that having Naruto and Sasuke-kun promoted to ANBU would be beneficial not only for the village, but Sakura-chan, too." Then, he smiled warmly, taking years of stress away from his features. "It would be nice to see Team Seven together again, don't you think?"

Yes, he did.

* * *

_Unlike Izumi, you had to look closely for Haruno Sakura's beauty. Her wide forehead was the first thing he had taken note of, followed by her eyes. They were what held the true beauty, he believed. Their stunning shade reminded Itachi of the fresh grass in spring, when life was bursting through the death winter brought along with it. Everything else about her, minus the pink hair of course, was ordinary. The almond shape of her eyes was something to marvel, he allowed, but everything else was average about her._

* * *

Her beauty was no longer ordinary or average and he no longer had to look closely to see it.

Lips twitching upwards into a faint smile, Itachi leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Sakura's forehead. She was sleeping, finally. Out cold. How long had she been fighting against it since waking up? Too long. And it certainly wasn't helping her mental state.

It was like a weak dam holding back tons of water. Water was beginning to seep through the cracks in the dam. That was what came to mind when Itachi thought of Sakura's breakdown. She'd fought valiantly for who knows how long, but could no longer withstand the pressure.

He simply couldn't understand when or how it happened.

Unlike her beauty, which he had witnessed flourishing during their time together on the same squad, whatever had happened to her, happened when he wasn't looking. It was something he would never forgive himself for. Instead of focusing on Sakura becoming a woman, instead of watching her blossom into the rarest flower that outshone them all, he should have been focusing on what was going on with her.

Sitting down on the hard, plastic chair, Itachi's gaze drifted to the window. The curtains were left open, allowing him to stare at the night sky that was lit up by the stars and moon. It filled the room with its light, turning Sakura's pastel pink hair to a strange silver-lavender shade, her skin paler than ever.

There was no anger within him at her secrets like he'd thought there would be. All Itachi felt was an increasing worry for her, was the need to lighten the burden she was carrying. He found himself wanting to help her, to carry the load for her, to be the one she confided in and trusted inexplicably. He silently promised that he would never betray that trust, should she honour him with having it.

The sound of the door behind him sliding open gained his attention and Itachi glanced over his shoulder, hiding his exhaustion and worry behind his so-called perfect mask. If it was perfect, he would have been able to shut down all emotions he was feeling, instead of hiding them.

"Here again?"

It wasn't really a question and Itachi had no intention of answering Tsunade as he turned back to Sakura.

Unlike when staying on a ward, her room was silent, almost eerily so. Whenever he visited a hospital, it was always noisy and chaotic, so to sit in almost silence was unnerving.

He heard her heels clicking lightly on the tiled floor, seconds before Tsunade entered his vision once more as she sat in the chair opposite him on Sakura's right side. Like his own was: her mask was in place. Why they bothered, Itachi wasn't entirely sure. They were feeling the same concern for Sakura, the same fear, the same longing to help her.

"What is this to you, Uchiha?" Tsunade questioned after a long drawn out silence, voice quiet. Her honey brown eyes narrowed fractionally, though not with anger. The mask cracked, revealing to him that she was thoughtful, like she was trying to figure him out. He wished her luck. Even his own family couldn't understand him, no matter how hard they tried. "What is Sakura to you?"

Dark eyes returned to the woman slumbering peacefully. Even without the makeup she often wore, she was beautiful. All her training and strict diets had paid off, giving her smooth skin a healthy glow. There was no frown knitting her eyebrows together, or pulling the corners of her lips downwards, because in her sleep, she was at peace.

"Sakura is…"

His voice trailed off as he regarded her sleeping features. There were so many things that Sakura was to him, some of which he couldn't put into words. How was he supposed to label something he couldn't even understand?

But then, without his permission, he found himself smiling, albeit slightly.

"She is my light in the dark."

A wonderful flame that refused to be extinguished, one that burned whenever he grew too close, but left him feeling cold whenever he grew too distant. He needed the heat she radiated to survive, needed it to guide him through the difficulties that attempted to leave him in total darkness.

She was his light at the end of the tunnel.

Itachi didn't see the way Tsunade's eyes softened, didn't see her returning his small smile like she knew exactly what he meant without him explaining himself, like she knew exactly how he was feeling even if he couldn't find the words himself.

However, he looked over in time to see that smile dim to a troubled frown, attention caught by her weighty sigh.

"Sakura may not have told you," she said quietly, keeping her voice low to keep Sakura's sleep undisturbed. "But when Yamanaka Ino died, she went through a deep depression, one that she couldn't avoid or fight her way through – in the beginning, that is."

He also frowned. It wasn't his first time hearing of Yamanaka Ino's death, but it was the first time he was hearing more of how it affected Sakura. While Itachi knew it was obviously deeply, he didn't know any specifics.

"Some days, I can see that she's still fighting," Tsunade admitted. "Depression is a destructive illness, taking away the people we love and warping them into a shell of their former selves and all we can do is sit back and watch it happen." Honey brown eyes shut and she bit her lip. "You can only help someone who wants to be helped, Uchiha."

What was she saying? That Sakura didn't want to be helped? It was preposterous. She gave her all to aid those in need and Itachi would make sure she received the same stubborn determination from himself, even if it was only from himself.

"As you said: Sakura is still fighting," he replied, not bothering to mask the agitation in his lowered voice. "You say you can only help someone who wants to be helped, but I disagree. For as long as Sakura is fighting, I will stand by her side and offer her my strength. Even when she gives up, I will fight that battle for her." His gaze narrowed. Why did the thought of her giving up annoy him so much? "That is what you do for the person you love. You support them through their darkest times."

Right now, Sakura needed someone to light up _her_ darkness.

And even though Itachi knew his own light wasn't all that bright anymore, he would still stubbornly light up that darkness for her. Just like she had for him, because there _was_ a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how impossible it felt.

She had taught him that herself and he was willing to remind her as many times as he needed to until she returned to him.

* * *

"You're falling asleep on the job."

Itachi refused to admit that he was startled by his friend's sudden appearance in his office, even though there was no hiding the spilled coffee and knocked over scrolls.

Entering the office through the window, Shisui chuckled, scooping low to pick up the scrolls and placing them down carefully onto the desk. Like with mission requests at the Hokage Tower, Itachi received many similar requests from fellow clansmen, asking for his help. They were – _had been_ in carefully considered piles, starting with the urgent requests to the… Well, he would put it this way: rubbish blowing into the yard of a middle-aged man who had way too much time on his hands, was not his idea of a matter of urgency. It was surprising how many cries for help like that he received. There were much more pressing matters to deal with.

"How was your mission?" he asked and took a sip out of what was left of his coffee, only to place the mug down when Itachi found it was cold, hiding his cringe. There was nothing worse than cold, bitter coffee.

"As well as to be expected," Shisui replied lightly. He sat down at the chair opposite him, relaxing in his seat instantly. "I heard Sakura is being placed onto another team."

Had he offended him? "I suggested Sasuke and Naruto-kun be promoted to ANBU, and that they were placed on the same team as Sakura."

"Smart move," his friend agreed, making him frown.

"Then why…?"

"Hokage-sama's plan is to make her captain of the squad," Shisui told him, watching his expression closely.

Ah.

There was no hiding his surprise, although Itachi couldn't understand what he'd been expecting, honestly. Out of the three of them, Sakura was the one with the most experience in ANBU, therefore was the most capable of leading them. However, she didn't have much experience in captaining a squad. The only real experience was when they were ordered to watch over Naruto's training with Sabaku no Gaara and even then, Shisui had taken over when the situation became problematic.

"Is she really up to it?" he went on to ask and sat back in his seat, hands flat against the arm rests. "Is she up to staying in ANBU?"

"It is what she wants," said Itachi after a pause that lasted too long.

"But you don't agree."

"No."

The older Uchiha sighed. "And that's why you asked her to retire with you – and here I was thinking it was some big romantic gesture that was taken the wrong way."

Choosing to ignore the words, he reached out for the box of tissues at the end of his desk and set to mopping up the coffee that had been spilled. The desk had been expensive as well as his father's – hell, it had been around longer than his father. It was an antique and so he knew his parents would be angry with him if he ruined the fine craftsmanship.

"Any improvement?" Itachi glanced up at his friend once more, shaking his head softly. Shisui sighed. "Listen, Itachi. I don't care if you can't trust Sakura with your heart."

He almost scowled at him, pausing in his cleaning. "Excuse me?"

Holding up his hands, he cut Itachi off from saying anything more. "Let me finish." It was only when he was certain he wouldn't say anything that Shisui continued, saying slowly, "Sakura's going to have to tell you something and it's going to sound crazy. For the sake of her mental health, you _need_ to believe her and reverse the damage."

Reverse the damage? What on Earth was Shisui talking about? "Sakura has already said that she won't tell me anything until I trust her."

The expression on his friend's face was grave, appearing dark and serious as he regarded him. "She's not going to have much of a choice. When she comes to you, Itachi, do not push her away or leave her alone in this. Use your sharingan and it'll tell you all you need to know, but…" For the briefest of moments, pain flitted over Shisui's features, leaving Itachi stunned. "I haven't acted on her declining mental health because she's following strict orders, even if she doesn't know it yet."

Orders? "What has she been ordered to do?" Itachi couldn't help but demand. Damn it, his heart was beating fast in his chest, palms growing sweaty. It had been a long while since he was so nervous and fearful. "Who is making the orders?"

But the older Uchiha shook his head, expression still grim as he murmured, "It's not my place."

"You seem to know just as much as Sakura," he countered, patience slipping.

"Not at all." Shaking his head, Shisui stood from his seat and made his way to the window, preparing to leave. It wasn't proper, but Itachi let it slide. "Even if I did, I wasn't as involved as Sakura was. I won't be able to answer any questions you'll have – trust me, you'll have hundreds." Sparing a single, final glance, he waved half-heartedly in a casual salute and climbed out, saying over his shoulder, "Later."

How annoying. Sitting back in his seat, he carelessly tossed the soaked tissues into the waste bin beside his desk.

Honestly, Itachi wasn't too sure on how much longer he could wait to hear the truth. It was tearing Sakura apart keeping it to herself and it was hurting him to see her in such a way. Something had been ordered of her without her knowledge and it… angered Itachi that someone had done that to her. It pained him that they had put her in the place she was at now. Alone, scared and torn. Sakura didn't deserve that.

There was a single knock on his office door, one that was interrupted by the door being viciously torn open. Had he not trained his eyes as hard as he had, he would have missed the flash of orange and black that entered his office dramatically. Instead, Itachi saw every movement and remained impassive when hands slammed down onto his desk, knocking the scrolls back onto the ground.

At a calmer pace, Sasuke followed his teammate with his hands going into his pockets, eyes shut in resignation.

He sighed. "Naruto-kun. Sasuke."

"ANBU? Really?" Naruto demanded and for a split second, Itachi struggled to understand what emotion was written on his features. It looked like disbelief, but there wasn't any negativity in his eyes.

"You have both earned it," he replied, masking his surprise.

"Does this mean we get to do badass poses that freak the shit out of people?" the blond asked excitedly, suddenly grinning from ear-to-ear.

He definitely wasn't angry or upset, then. Itachi refrained from sighing a second time. "You can also use cool one-liners, if you wish."

There was a pause, one that seemed to drag out for an eternity as blue eyes widened, as dark eyes narrowed. The two younger men eyed him warily, in shock. Then…

"_Ah!_" Naruto exclaimed and shoved his finger in Itachi's face, making him lean back in his seat to avoid having an eye taken out. Next, a black sandal slammed into his desk, giving the Uzumaki the height advantage as he leaned over him, face mere millimetres from his own. "First the promotion and now you're _joking_ with me! Who are you and where is Uchiha Itachi?"

Where… Itachi shook his head, unable to hold back the next sigh. It was uncomfortable having the blond so close, but what made it worse was that he could smell the ramen he'd no doubt just eaten on his breath. The scent was unpleasant, causing his stomach to somersault.

"Naruto-kun, please remove yourself from my personal space, unless you wish for me to use force."

That seemed to calm him, at least. Sheepishly, he chuckled and hopped off the desk, rubbing the back of his head with a grin. "So, why'd you do it?"

As expected of his younger brother, Sasuke remained silent and in the background, keeping the attention away from himself as he stood with a relaxed posture.

"You are both good assets for Konoha."

Blue eyes rolled. Folding his arms over his chest, he demanded, "What's the real reason?"

Oh? Maybe Uzumaki Naruto had grown in more ways than one. For a brief moment, Itachi allowed himself to feel something akin to pride. He'd watched the blond grow up, after all. Since he was so close to Sasuke, and he had always watched over Sasuke's progress, it also meant he'd watched Naruto's, too. Sure, he was still a loudmouthed, impatient and excitable idiot – no, he wasn't an idiot anymore. Unless Itachi had become transparent and everyone was capable of reading him.

"The real reason?" he repeated, noticing that Sasuke had reopened his eyes, watching his older brother from the corner of his eyes. To an outsider, it appeared as though he was inspecting the glass display cabinet that held several katana, but Itachi knew the truth. Sasuke was hanging onto his every word, just as he always had. "Sakura needs her teammates."

It stunned the pair of them, though he didn't think twice about it.

"Wow," Naruto said after a moment, sounding stunned. "You _do_ have a heart."

Fractionally, his eyes narrowed.

Naruto grinned sheepishly again, waving his hands desperately like he was trying to dispel the muted anger coming from the older Uchiha. "It's not a bad thing."

"Hn."

"Actually…" At the quiet mumble, Itachi glanced back to the blond, inwardly frowning at the look of great worry. "I really think Sakura-chan needs us, too. She's…" Naruto glanced over his shoulder at Sasuke, trying to find the words that were right on the tip of his tongue. "She's…"

"Kind of like how she was when Ino died," Sasuke finished for him.

"Yeah, but not exactly." The Uzumaki's frown deepened. "This seems… scarier."

So, they had noticed, too. Though, Itachi supposed it wasn't too hard to notice. "Hence why I recommended for Team Seven to be reunited," he told them both, taking them by surprise. "You have helped her through that darkness before." Then, further taking them by surprise, Itachi stood and bowed his head, saying, "Please, help me help Sakura through it."

He didn't see the two boys exchanging wary glances, unsure as to what they were supposed to do. It didn't matter to him. At some point in his life, Itachi had learned not to try and do everything by himself, that it was okay to ask for help when the situation truly called for it. At that moment in time, he knew he needed help. What was happening with Sakura… Itachi knew he couldn't help her by himself. She needed the support of her friends and family.

"What've you got planned?" Sasuke asked.

Standing up straight, he looked them both in the eye in turn. "It isn't much, but…"

* * *

Much later into the evening, he found himself standing outside of Sakura's room at the hospital, facing a large group of people. Itachi would never admit it, but inside, he felt slightly nervous.

Each of them was holding something, a gift, and each wore the same expectant expression as they stared at him – well, except for Sakura's parents. They were watching him suspiciously, no doubt wondering who he was and how he knew their daughter. They'd never been introduced.

"Say, Shikamaru," the Akimichi heir thought aloud, looking around at everyone. In his hands and resting on his arms were large platters of food. "Is this going to be enough food?"

Was he supposed to say something? Most of them seemed confused about his being there, especially facing them all with his back to the door, like he was the one orchestrating the whole thing. It was partly true, though he supposed Naruto had done all the running around in the afternoon, spreading the word for him.

It was surprising that they were all in the village. Both of Sakura's teams, all members of Team Seven and the ANBU squad were there, as well as her parents, the members of Team Eight, Ten and Gai, Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, Genma and Raidō, Izumi and even an old woman – the same old woman from the other day, who he'd yet to put a name to the face. Somehow, Obito knew the old woman, as did Izumi. An Uchiha, perhaps?

The sound of the door opening behind him had Itachi stepping to the side, smiling in thanks to Shizune as she informed them Sakura was decent. That had been the hardest part: talking Tsunade and Shizune into allowing so many visitors at once. Usually, no more than three were allowed in the room at the same time. He wondered how they were all going to fit.

Itachi motioned for her parents to enter first, nodding once when her father patted his shoulder in thanks. Oddly, he felt nervous around the large man, like his first battle as a shinobi. Was that normal? Next, Team Seven entered, followed by himself and her ANBU squad. The rest piled in, each finding somewhere to stand.

Sakura seemed stunned, unable to say anything as she took in the sight of them all – all twenty-five of them. For a few minutes, nothing was said, all she did was stare and during that time, Itachi couldn't help but second guess his idea. Was she overwhelmed? Did she hate being surrounded by so many people?

But then tears filled her eyes, no matter how hard she fought to keep them back, no matter how harshly she bit her lip in an attempt to hold back her sob.

"Everyone," she mumbled, wiping at her eyes roughly.

Laughing lightly, her mother sat on the edge of her bed, gently dabbing at her daughter's eyes with her own sleeve. "Don't cry, Sakura."

"We all heard you've been feeling down," her father said, his eyes gentle as he walked around the bed and ruffled her hair, somehow ignoring the glare sent up at him by both women. "God knows you've done so much for us and the village. The least we can do is stand by you and support you."

"Mom and Dad will be by later," Naruto added with a grin. "They had to meet with those cranky old farts again."

Tsunade barked out a laugh, though sobered when Shizune approached Sakura with Genma by her side, offering her a fruit basket. "It's not much," the dark-haired woman murmured, watching as Genma placed it onto the bedside table. "But we had to find some way to thank you for what you did, Sakura-chan. You risked your life to make sure my husband came home to me." The formal woman bowed lowly, biting her lip before managing to say, "I can never repay you for that."

"And you've pieced all of us back together at least once," Kakashi added cheerfully. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a small book and took Shizune's place by the bed once the couple backed away. "I'm no good with flowers and things like that, so I thought I'd get you something that'd come from the heart."

The tears started up again as Sakura accepted the book, a broken chuckle leaving her as she read the title that made many in the room blush: _Icha Icha._ "I can't promise that I'll read it," she said honestly. "But, thank you, Sensei. I know it means a lot to you."

He smiled and, like her father had, ruffled Sakura's hair. "Team Seven isn't the same without you."

Itachi tilted his head to the side, watching out of the corner of his eye as Shisui nodded his head by the smallest amount, the same idea striking them: since Sakura wasn't experienced in leading a team, what was the harm in her learning from her former sensei? They knew he still accepted ANBU missions from time to time, and as of late, they'd been needing his assistance more than ever. Two birds, one stone.

"This is from Team Gai," Tenten then said, the team of three taking Kakashi's place as the woman held out a long box. It was gift wrapped elegantly and Itachi could see Sakura hesitating to open it, her eyes shifting to Neji's, since they all knew he would have been the one who wrapped it. At his smirk and nod of consent, she ripped into it quickly, anyway, blushing once the box was open. "We promise you it has nothing to do with Kakashi-sensei's gift."

With that hesitancy returning, she took the weapon out of the box and held it up, making a few of them chuckle. It was a rather long, intimidating looking whip that was black in colour. She ran her fingers along it, smiling faintly.

"Once you're out of here, try it with chakra," the brunette added with a wink.

Many in the room flinched when Sakura suddenly pulled on the weapon, creating a loud whipping sound. Even Itachi felt kind of intimidated. At that moment, she was recovering, therefore wouldn't have used her chakra and wouldn't have used much, if any, of her true strength, and it was still loud. He couldn't begin to imagine the damage she could create with it.

Next, Shikamaru and Choji stepped forward, offering up the many platters of food, which were placed onto a table standing at the far end of the room. It had been brought in for the occasion. The Nara offered a bouquet of flowers, ones that had Sakura welling up all over again as she brought them to her nose, breathing their scent in deeply.

"Cosmos," she said aloud, to which her mother placed her hand on her leg, giving a comforting squeeze.

They didn't need to say anything, it seemed. The smile Sakura gave to the two men and their small smiles in return appeared to say all that needed to be said. Itachi wondered if the flowers had been Yamanaka Ino's favourite, or if they held a meaning between the two girls. Was it their way of saying Yamanaka was still with her, even after death?

Team Eight stepped forward when it came to their turn, with Hyuuga Hinata offering some of her clan's special ointment. Tsunade had given Akamaru and Kiba a glare when the dog tried to get on the bed, warning the Inuzuka that she was letting him off with having Akamaru in her hospital, so he shouldn't push his luck.

Sai gave Sakura a book and told her to look through it later, making her frown in confusion and throughout the gathering, Itachi saw her hand itch to grab the book and see what the big deal was. Then, Obito and Rin gave her a basket with freshly baked muffins, which was followed by Shisui giving her a katana, one of his own, in fact. He said she'd earned it after all the hard work she'd done.

Izumi was next, much to Rock Lee's wariness, he'd noticed. Why he felt that way, Itachi wasn't entirely sure, but he also noticed the way everyone seemed confused when the Uchiha held out her hand, expression one of pride. Sakura accepted it with a firm grasp, a sly smirk on her lips.

"Don't think I've forgotten about that spar, Damned Uchiha."

Itachi's eyes widened in shock. Damned? _Damned?_

"Good. I look forward to it, Weakling Haruno."

_Weakling?_

What the-

"Another rivalry, huh?" Shikamaru sighed in the background. "How troublesome."

A rivalry. It sounded… Itachi wasn't even sure. He recalled the first time the two met, when he'd been helping Sakura home with her groceries. They hadn't seemed fond of each other back then, either. Now, however, they… He couldn't find the words to describe the pair of them.

The old lady stepped around Izumi and cupped Sakura's cheek, making green eyes go wide at the sight of her.

"Satsuki-san," she said, like she was reprimanding the old woman. "You should be resting."

"You saved my granddaughter, Sakura-chan," Satsuki told her simply, smiling warmly. "I had to thank you for that."

If it was possible, her eyes went even wider. "That girl was your grandchild?" she asked. When the woman nodded, she offered a small, shy smile. "I wasn't able to do much, really. It was the other medics-"

"Nonsense," Tsunade cut her off. Folding her arms over her ample chest, she said, "It was thanks to your stubborn nature that the girl survived."

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Satsuki said again and leaned down, kissing her cheek.

Even though she was clearly without sight, the old woman got around fairly easily. A retired kunoichi, perhaps?

By his side, Izumi told him in a low murmur, "Formally Uchiha Satsuki, until she decided to marry outside of the clan and was disowned by her parents." She was watching the pair when Itachi looked down at her in surprise. "She was around a lot when I was growing up, always helping my mother. As you know, she also got disowned for marrying outside of the clan."

Yes, he knew that. The only reason Izumi was living within the district once more was because both of her parents had died while she was still a child. Her father during the night the Kyuubi had been released, and her mother… Actually, Itachi wasn't too sure on how her mother had passed away. He simply remembered her being upset greatly by it.

He made a note to himself to speak with Satsuki once he got the chance. At the very least, he would apologise for her being disowned. If she allowed it, he would help her in any way possible, though knew that the damage had already been done. It had obviously been decades since she was disowned. There was probably nothing he could say that would make any difference for her.

Itachi watched as Raidō offered her his own gift, along with a card written by his family and a few pictures from his children, all saying thank you for taking care of him. It had her smiling happily, especially the drawings, which she immediately asked of someone to stick on the walls. Tsunade pretended not to notice, instead inspecting her nails. If she didn't see it, she couldn't scold her for marking the walls. It made Shizune smirk at her knowingly.

His own gift wouldn't be handed to her until they were alone. Not because of it being inappropriate, but because he understood that Uzumaki Naruto's feelings for Sakura were very much real. He didn't want to hurt the boy who seemed to dote on her. The blond was smiling widely as he gave her several coupons for ramen.

Sasuke handed her a scroll, one Itachi instantly recognised, as did Kakashi. They were both stunned that he was handing it down to her.

"Itachi told me you were using the lightning element to save the girl," he explained when she stared up at him in shock. "When I first started using the lightning element, I used this scroll to learn the basics."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said with a bright smile.

They all conversed for the next hour or so, happily eating the food that was provided by Choji until Tsunade noticed Sakura growing tired. She shooed everyone out, not sparing him a second glance as Itachi sat down in the chair beside her bed. Sakura's parents hesitated in leaving when they spotted him, but were soon distracted by Shisui. When their backs were turned, he winked over at him, making Sakura blush.

"You didn't have to do that."

He glanced back at her and smiled faintly. Even though she looked exhausted, there was a definite glow of happiness to her. Despite her words, she was moved by everyone's words – hell, just their presence alone.

"Thank you," she whispered, wiping at her eyes. "And I'm sorry for being such a crybaby lately."

His smile widened and he sat on the edge of her bed, taking her hand in his. "It has been a difficult week for you."

She grimaced. "Yeah, but I'm supposed to be stronger than this."

"You _are_ strong," he assured her with ease. Honestly, how could Sakura not see that? She was one of the strongest women he knew. "However, sometimes, even the strongest of men need a moment to be human."

"Sexist," Sakura laughed weakly and rubbed at her eyes again. "You should've said _people_, not men."

It took him a moment to realise she was only teasing him. Smiling, he then said, "I still haven't given you my gift."

She bit her lip and tried – and failed – to seem hesitant. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," he argued.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a box. It was long in shape, at least forty or so centimetres. He felt nervous handing the box to her, allowing Sakura to open it for herself. Watching as she smiled faintly, he fought back his small bout of anxiety. Did she like it?

"This is…"

"I don't expect you to wear it," Itachi said when she trailed off. "I know you have not told your family or friends about our relationship. This is simply my way of telling you that I am ready to commit to you."

She pulled the necklace from the box, holding it up with one hand while she gingerly touched the symbol of his clan with the tips of her fingers.

He found himself releasing a breath he hadn't realised he was holding when she told him, with tears filling her eyes, "I love it."

* * *

They had agreed that until Sakura informed her family and Naruto about their relationship, her necklace would remain in its box.

Breathing in deeply, Itachi knocked on a door, waiting for the words that granted his entry before he walked in.

After everyone had left Sakura's gathering two nights ago, he'd asked Sakura about Uchiha Satsuki, though was taking by surprise when she ordered him not to call her that. Satsuki was not an Uchiha anymore, she was her own person. To say any different would offend her massively. Sakura also informed him that the old woman didn't have long left, and part of himself felt sad about it. What could he possibly offer a dying woman, one who, after being disowned, resented the fact she was born an Uchiha? Her own parents were long gone – he'd checked it out himself. They'd died well over a decade ago, therefore he couldn't offer any kind of reconciliation. He couldn't offer her a place back in the district, as she didn't want to be known as an Uchiha. What else could he offer her?

Itachi smiled at the seated woman, though inwardly sighed as he remembered she couldn't see a thing. It wouldn't have been _just_ because of the sharingan, but it certainly didn't help matters. It had more than likely sped up the deterioration of her eyesight, which had been started by her illness.

"Satsuki-san," he greeted when she remained silent. "My name is-"

"I know who you are," she replied tersely, eyebrows knitting together. "What do you want?"

Why did he feel so… inadequate? Glancing down at the flowers he'd brought, Itachi frowned. He knew she wouldn't be able to see the beauty of them for herself, however, he had thought that the fragrance would brighten the room for Satsuki somewhat.

"I recently became patriarch," he told her after taking another deep breath. "As well as this, I have recently become romantically involved with Sakura." There was a knowing expression on her face, even though she seemed closed off and cold. "I…" He sighed. Why was this so hard? "Growing up, I didn't know people were disowned by their parents for choosing to marry someone outside of the clan."

"You didn't know, or you didn't care to know?" Satsuki quietly questioned. At the side of her legs, her fists clenched. Despite how weak and fragile she appeared now, Itachi knew it hadn't always been that way. Her past was a colourful one. "Why have you come here?"

It was understandable. Her pain, her anger, were both understandable, especially considering the fact that, as patriarch, he would not be disowned for marrying outside of the clan. Sure, it would make things difficult, as there are many Uchiha who still believed in keeping the sharingan inside of the clan, meaning absolutely no outsiders, but he was willing to deal with them when the time came.

"There is not much I can offer you or your family," he murmured and once more looked back to the flowers. Like himself, they felt inadequate. "However, I wish to apologise for what has happened. My predecessor should have intervened."

Thin, grey eyebrows knitted together more harshly. "Are you saying this simply because you're involved with Sakura-chan now?"

"Not at all," Itachi argued and sat down at the chair beside her bed. Yes, it was rude to invite himself to sit down, but he was getting through to Satsuki whether she wanted it or not. He had plenty of experience in dealing with stubborn old people. "I am saying this because everyone has the right to be with the person they love, no matter what clan they are a part of."

Some of the anger left her features, though she still seemed annoyed. "There's not much you can do about it now," Satsuki told him bluntly. "I'll be dead in a handful of weeks."

He frowned again, unable to imagine how awful it felt knowing you were going to die, knowing there was nothing you could do to stop it. All you could do was accept it and hope it wasn't too painful.

"I would like to support you and your family," he told her earnestly. "You can rest easy knowing that I will fully support your family after your death. If they wish to move into the district, then I will allow it. If they wish to stay in the village, then that is fine, too." At her stunned silence, Itachi continued, saying, "Your granddaughter… Sakura told me she heard more than one child playing in the hall when she collapsed, though there was only one when she went out there. She was using a clone, wasn't she?"

Satsuki nodded. "Her sharingan is too powerful for her and she passes out after using it for a certain amount of time. Asuka-chan told me she was playing tag with her clone, and that they were both using the sharingan. I'm suspecting it drained her chakra greatly, to the point it caused cardiac arrest."

Like Izumi, then (minus the cardiac arrest, of course). Itachi supposed it was because they were only half, or quarter, Uchiha. "I can have Sakura examine Asuka-chan once she is fully healed, or have Tsunade-sama examine her now, to check that she is healthy and that there are no underlying illnesses," he promised. "I will take care of all medical bills, including your own, to give your family peace of mind."

"Y-You would do that for an old woman like me?" she asked, stunned.

"Of course, Satsuki-san." Itachi smiled, making sure it was obvious in his voice that he was smiling. "I can also have a friend of mine train Asuka-chan. Like your granddaughter, my friend faints after using her sharingan. There are many things she could teach her."

"Why?" Satsuki asked. "Why would you do that?"

Standing, he placed the flowers into the empty vase beside her bed, silently telling himself that he would make sure it was filled with fresh flowers as soon as they began to wilt. Others probably didn't bring her any because she was blind, but he knew that his father's sense of smell had heightened greatly since losing his sight.

"As I said, Satsuki-san, everyone has the right to be with the person they love. They shouldn't be ostracised or hated for who they fall in love with, either." Turning his head to the side, he regarded her features. "I may have been ignorant growing up, blind to what was going on around me, but now that I am experiencing that love for myself…" He smiled. "It is unfair what happened to you and to many others, but know that I am doing all I can to change the ways of our clan."

Satsuki smiled, then. A small, peaceful smile as she breathed deeply and said, "Thank you for the flowers."

* * *

It was safe to say that, when Sakura stumbled into his office with tears flowing freely down her cheeks, looking as though she was in a world of pain, he was startled. No, not just startled, but angered, too. Who had dared to harm her? Their relationship may not be public knowledge, but they belonged to one another. She was _his_.

"It hurts…"

Itachi frowned and dropped his scroll, approaching her quickly. What was she doing out of hospital? "Where are you hurt, Sakura?"

"Your… Your memories," she couldn't help but sob, hands coming to her head. "I want them _out!"_

His mind blanked.

What she was saying was preposterous. It simply couldn't be true. There was no way Sakura could have access to his memories, not when he kept half of them locked away for the sake his own sanity.

"Please make it stop," Sakura begged of him. "Take them out."

Was his lover having a psychotic breakdown? Frowning, he reached out, guiding her into his previous seat. As awful as it was to admit such things: she _looked_ like she was having a breakdown. With messy, unwashed hair, dark circles around her eyes and skin as pale as the paper on his desk, she appeared ill, or like she hadn't slept properly in a while. Was she seeing things? Was her mind telling her that they were his memories?

She'd seemed so much better in the past few days. Where had this even come from?

"Y-You have a birthmark!"

Yes, he did. "You have seen me undressed," Itachi argued.

"You…" Green eyes squeezed shut and when they reopened, he could see how bloodshot they were, though couldn't tell if it was from crying or intense pain. "You tried to kill yourself." Sakura swallowed hard and vaguely, he wished he could do the same, for his throat was suddenly impossibly dry. "At four-years-old. After the war. After you killed for the first time."

Impossible.

She hadn't even been born then.

"How…?"

Her hands clutched at his robes, desperation, almost madness, etched into her features. "Sasuke-kun unknowingly consoled you after your team's death!"

He felt sick. Disgustingly sick. How was it possible for Sakura to know of his memories? How did she know about one of his darkest times? In his chest, his heart was beating impossibly fast, his breathing coming quick.

Watery green eyes gazed up at him, the same desperation present. "Please… Take them away. You're the only one who can take them away! _Get them out!_"

Had he given them to her? Her words… They made it sound like she'd been unwilling to take them, like he'd forced them onto her, but surely that wasn't right? Itachi was more than certain that he would have remembered doing such a thing. Not even Shisui knew of his suicide attempt.

Whatever had happened, it had left Sakura broken. He could tell from a single glance into her green, green eyes. It seemed he'd finally found out what was haunting her, though couldn't, for the life of him, understand how she'd gained access to his memories. Shutting his eyes, Itachi forced himself to calm down. The mind was a very fragile thing, but Sakura's was especially fragile at that moment in time. He had to be thorough, yet gentle. Shisui's words repeated themselves in his mind, reminding him to be open-minded and _there for her_.

When he reopened his eyes, his sharingan was activated and he cupped Sakura's cheek, forcing their eyes to connect.

There was nothing in the world that could have prepared him for what he saw.


	44. You're Everything I Need

**Chapter 44**

**You're Everything I Need**

* * *

"I was beginning to think you would never make it to this point."

All Itachi could do was stare. Dumbfounded. How could he not, when he was staring at…?

Himself.

It wasn't like looking in a mirror, though. If he was to look in a mirror now, he knew exactly what would be staring back at him. This version of himself… He was older, the lines on his face more defined and his hair was longer, reaching his hip (something he never allowed to happen, his own hair never growing longer than his mid-back) and with a few odd strands of grey. There was nothing spectacular about his choice of clothing – they were plain, and there was no forehead protector to be seen.

"What are you doing in Sakura's head?" he questioned. Despite how strong his voice sounded, how sure of himself he appeared, Itachi was not. He was the exact opposite. Actually, he was shaken up. There was no use denying it.

"Explaining the situation to you," the man told him, turning to face him fully.

What situation?

The area surrounding them was plain, as one would expect when inside another's head. It wasn't rare for him to enter the minds of his enemies with his sharingan, extracting whatever information he needed, but it was rare to enter their mind and do nothing except standing there. Even rarer to find a version of yourself staring back at you, wanting to talk.

There was a faint smirk on the other man's lips as he also glanced around them, copying Itachi's movements. "We're not alone."

Yes, he could sense that. "It only makes sense. This is Sakura's mind."

The smirk widened, like he knew a joke that nobody had any hopes in understanding. "That is not what I mean, but I am sure you will find out shortly."

What? It took everything to hold back his urge to scowl. "Explain why you are in Sakura's mind. Did I put you here?"

Thankfully, the teasing smirk left his lips, leaving the older version of himself to appear serious. "You know you would remember doing such a thing."

There was no other explanation, though!

Oddly, a shiver ran down his spine and Itachi looked behind himself, frowning. What was that? It felt… almost like someone had run their fingers down his back, but that wasn't possible, either. He and that impostor were the only ones in Sakura's mind, weren't they? Had others invaded her head?

Anger filled him, but before he could say anything, the other version of himself was smirking again as he said, "Come out."

A chill filled the air around him as someone immersed from the darkness beside his other self, looking eerily familiar, though at the same time, didn't. Writing marred her forehead, telling him that she was 'Inner Sakura' and like their surroundings, she was black (almost translucent, actually), though with white outlines to stand out. Like an entity of some kind. She seemed the same age as Sakura – that he could tell, anyway. She had the same outline, at least. There wasn't anything else you could really tell by a person who looked like they belonged in a world of negatives.

An inner version of herself? Sakura certainly didn't come across as having two personalities, or any mental illnesses. Sure, as of late, she'd been run down and a mess of emotions, but that was perfectly understandable given the fact _he_ was in her head, showing her his memories. It would mess anyone up.

"Explain."

"How about we have her introduce herself first?"

This time, he couldn't stop himself scowling and reluctantly, he once again glanced at the negative version of Sakura. It seemed when she was around, it was impossible to hide one's true feelings. She brought everything to the surface.

"It's not some badass secret clan jutsu or anything," she said flippantly with a roll of her eyes. Folding her arms over her chest, she added, "I'm basically a manifestation of negative emotions, hence why I look the way I do."

"Emotions Sakura suppresses?" he guessed.

Inner-Sakura nodded. "You've caused her a world of hurt, Uchiha Itachi." Her eyes slid to the one beside her, narrowing. "Both of you."

The man opposite him had the audacity to smile. "We have already discussed this."

"An inner version of herself makes sense," Itachi said and his own eyes narrowed. "That doesn't explain why you are here. If anything, you should be in my head. Not Sakura's."

"_Thank you_," Inner-Sakura stressed, soon glaring up at the other version of himself. "Get the hell out already!"

His smile didn't lessen. If anything, he seemed greatly amused, perhaps even reminiscent. It was with obvious reluctance that he looked back to him, saying, "I am not an inner version of you. It is complex, but when I shared my memories with Sakura, it seems a part of my chakra clung to her, allowing me to stay. If I had a choice, I would have left already."

Something clicked in his mind. "You're the one who died protecting her."

He nodded once. "Yes."

"How is that possible?" Itachi demanded, scowling once more. "I take it you _are_ another version of myself."

Again, he was smiling. "I am."

Impossible. It was ludicrous. Despite that, Itachi found himself laughing. Out of disbelief, or maybe insanity. He wasn't sure. The situation was just so ridiculous he couldn't help but laugh about it.

"You're here because Sakura believes you will understand," the man continued, more seriously this time. "She believes you are ready to hear the truth."

"And what might that be?" he questioned, laughter simmering and leaving him with an expression of bored annoyance. "Let me guess: you came from the future, or a parallel universe."

"Yes, actually."

Itachi simply stared at him. He'd only been half-serious when he guessed that he was from the future, taking his older appearance into account. However, he knew that there were laws on things like time travelling. If one was to change history, a new universe would be created. The old universe would likely collapse after the change had been made, too. His presence alone would have created a new universe.

But then the other version of himself had agreed to it. Itachi's mind was screaming at him that this was all ridiculous, that multiverse theory was just that – a theory. Technology wasn't advanced enough for a time machine and he sincerely doubted it would advance enough to create one within the space of ten, possibly fifteen years. That left only one other possibility: jutsu. He supposed if one was capable of using space-time ninjutsu, then that opened up the window to different universes. However, even with his mangekyō, Itachi knew he wasn't able to use such a jutsu and he'd yet to come across anyone who could (not including Minato's forbidden jutsu, of course, as he wasn't travelling to different universes).

"How?" he found himself asking, both curious and annoyed.

Sighing, the other version of himself glanced down at the Inner-Sakura, frowning softly. "I don't know. In my universe, I died, but was brought back to unwillingly fight in a war. I thought I had undone the Edo Tensei jutsu, had felt myself returning to the afterlife after saying my final goodbyes. However, I was instead forced to watch the war play out until it was over. Until everyone was dead. Then, I awoke in this world."

He… died?

Already knowing what Edo Tensei was, Itachi didn't need it to be explained. Growing up, he'd found reading about the previous Hokage interesting, especially the Nidaime Hokage. Knowing how his clan felt about him, however, he hadn't let anyone know about his interest.

Edo Tensei was a jutsu he didn't agree with – nobody did, hence the reason why it was forbidden. Only one man had tried to learn the Nidaime's unforgivable jutsu, someone Itachi had only briefly encountered before his disappearance: Orochimaru. He was the only one capable of sneakily reading the Scroll of Seals right under the nose of the Sandaime. Whether he succeeded or not was as big a mystery as his disappearance.

"Don't forget to mention you stalked Sakura," Inner-Sakura snapped. Folding her arms over her chest, she looked away haughtily, chin raised. "You're the reason Sakura's head is a mushy pile of shit right now."

He tried to smile placatingly. "It was never my intention to stick around like this."

"But it was your intention to shadow her," Itachi accused. Despite his growing anger at his other self, his outward appearance remained calm and stoic. He would not allow that man to know how shaken he was. "You intervened with fate, possibly even death, which would, in turn, cause ripple effects. Other people would have to die in the place of those who survived. I cannot understand what your purpose is or was."

Something flashed through his eyes, something dark that spoke of the horrors the other Itachi had witnessed, the horrors that had scarred him mentally and emotionally. Of course, Itachi already knew that he was a survivor. It didn't matter what fate threw in his direction, because he would win, even if that meant losing those around him.

The natural human reaction to confrontation was fight or flight. There was no such thing in his mind, however. It was always fight, despite his pacifistic nature. Running away or taking the easy way out was not an option for him. It never had been and never would be. It gave his enemies the chance to grow stronger. It could mean the deaths of those he loved.

Contrary to what others thought: he _had_ lost battles before. Either they were childish brawls in the playground of the Academy, or life threatening battles that he just barely escaped. Everyone was capable of being outsmarted, or overpowered. Even him, the prodigy of his clan.

"How did you die?" he asked.

There was probably a law of some kind that stated one should never know such things, but Itachi did not see the man standing opposite him as himself. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Knowing such information could drive a person insane and the thought had Sakura's face flashing to the front of his mind, the sight of her curled up in her hospital bed, rocking back and forth and talking about how little time there was. Had she died in the other timeline? How did he prevent her from going insane with the knowledge of how she died, when and where?

Was she going to die soon?

His other self also narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Well, he wouldn't have asked otherwise.

At his continued silence and Inner-Sakura's scoff of amusement, the other Itachi said, "I had a terminal illness, one that ate away at my lungs and eventually, my other organs. Some would say that it was karma for all the suffering I caused."

Suffering? It was difficult keeping his emotions in check. "Explain."

He sighed at that. "It would be easier to show you."

There wasn't any time to refuse or argue, because suddenly and without warning, he was meeting the deadly gaze of the other Itachi's powerful mangekyō, one that had Inner-Sakura averting her gaze and glaring down at the non-existent ground, like even she could not bring herself to look at it.

For a few moments, all he could feel was pain, but then Itachi began recognising several of the memories that played out before him, watching from the eyes of his other self.

He recognised the hatred brewing amongst his clansmen, easily identifying the Curse of Hatred digging its claws into them one by one. They were helpless to stop it, instead allowing it to consume them whole after the incident of the Kyuubi attack. However, unlike in his own timeline, the Hokage and his wife died during the attack. It had him frowning. Why hadn't they sealed half inside of Naruto and then resealed the rest inside of Kushina? Why had the Yondaime gone to such extreme lengths by using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal? It wasn't necessary!

Those thoughts were blown out of his mind harshly when he was shown the memory of his best friend's death. It was ridiculous, as he knew Shisui was alive and well, but Itachi felt himself succumbing to his emotions as he witnessed his suicide. Danzo had… He gritted his teeth. He knew where it was going. Without Shisui and his mangekyō sharingan, they would…

It was as he feared.

"_It was unavoidable,"_ came a quiet voice in his mind. In an instant, he dismissed it as his other self. "_After Shisui's death, I was unable to stop the tensions that were escalating at a frightening rate. Nothing I did mattered to Father, who was growing more distant as time went on. The coup __d'étate was going to happen and I would be powerless to prevent it."_

He felt bile rise in his throat as he watched the deaths of his clansmen, starting with his childhood friend and her mother. Even as he killed her, Izumi had loved him, thanking him for the ending she received. Another helped him with the unforgivable act (asking that, in return, he joined his organisation), slaughtering them all easily while he struggled immensely when it came to his parents, crying behind them as he held his katana between them.

"_Protect Sasuke,"_ was what his father had asked of him.

And… he'd failed with that, too. While Sasuke was alive, he was not happy or safe like Itachi had always promised he would be. Instead, he… He was his big brother and he tortured him, warping his mind until he was so obsessed with revenge that he left Konoha and sought power from a man like Orochimaru, knowing full well that he would steal his body for the power of the sharingan. He left after a battle where he beat his own little brother to a bloody pulp before again psychologically torturing him, because apparently, forcing him to relive the deaths of his family and clansmen once already hadn't been enough.

Oh, he felt sick.

They skipped a few years, to a time where it was becoming difficult to keep up with the Akatsuki due to his illness, where his sight had deteriorated to the extent where he couldn't see without his sharingan being activated, but then living in constant agony when the continuous drain on his chakra caused his illness to spread faster.

"Karma," he repeated.

The Akatsuki's goal was to collect all nine of the tailed beasts with the intention of using them to create a war, to force all the nations into submission. It was when they were extracting the Ichibi from the Kazekage that he met Sakura. Unlike his own Sakura, who'd mastered the _Byakugō no In_ by the age of fifteen, the other Sakura was considerably weaker, abiding by the rules of medics by lingering in the background while he fought Kakashi and Naruto. His Sakura, due to mastering the _Sōzō Saisei_ jutsu, would have been the first one to join the battle.

Not long after the battle, after the death and revival of the Kazekage (he was still vaguely surprised that Sabaku no Gaara became Kazekage at such a young age), he began meeting with Sakura. Apparently, his other self was impressed by her medical ninjutsu and had studied her greatly for a while. Stalked her, even.

She hated him at first. Sakura was harsh when it came to the other Itachi, snarling threats and insults until she was red in the face and trembling with her anger (but she never tried to attack him, knowing full well that his death had to be at Sasuke's hands). In the beginning, she vehemently refused to aid a man who slaughtered his clansmen and tortured her dear Sasuke-kun. Soon enough, however, she broke and agreed to help him. In return, he would not go out of his way to capture the Kyuubi, though told her he couldn't say the same for his comrades.

His own Sakura would have demanded to be killed than go against her village. By treating Itachi, by fighting his illness, she was betraying her village. She was betraying Sasuke.

And then, somewhere down the line, feelings developed.

He preferred his Sakura. This version was… pitiful.

"_I pushed the Sakura of your timeline,"_ the voice returned, speaking quietly again. "_I knew how it would end for her if I didn't."_

And that was when he saw it.

His stomach twisted harshly at the sight of a younger Sakura laying face down in the mud, her blood flowing freely from her wounds and around her. It was even harder watching through the eyes of the other Itachi as he slowly approached her, like he was debating on whether he could handle seeing more death, especially the death of someone he loved.

_They loved each other._

It was obvious in the way he cried as he cleaned up her body, in the way he handled her so delicately – like she was a fragile flower rather than a woman who could reduce mountains to rubble with a single punch. The other Itachi returned her body to Konoha, to her shishou, who mourned the death of her beloved student openly as she went on to become the bearer of bad news, completely and utterly devastating her family and friends.

Many mourned her death. Not only that, but it seemed to have a drastic effect on the war that soon started. Itachi never got to see that war, however. Not while living, anyway. He died not long before the war at the hands of his brother. Sasuke had been running on rage and grief alone, almost completely exhausted when he found Itachi at an old Uchiha hideout.

"_If there was ever a person Sasuke could never harm, even while lost in his madness, it was Sakura,"_ came a soft voice. "_She showed him that he was still capable of being loved, and feeling love."_

Sasuke… loved Sakura?

He could only watch numbly as the battle commenced, ending in his death. He didn't really take any of it in, too fixated on what he'd just learned. Was Sasuke in love with Sakura in their own timeline? Itachi was annoyed to find that he couldn't answer his own question. His brother was either better than he'd imagined at hiding his true feelings, or didn't hold any romantic feelings for her.

What would he do if he was?

Not long into the war, the darkness that had consumed the other Itachi lifted. It didn't take him thirty seconds to figure out it was Edo Tensei. Like himself, the other Itachi had been interested in learning about the previous Hokage.

So much was happening, though. It felt like too much information for his mind to handle. There were so many questions, too many that could never be answered and it hurt to think too long about any of them. Was that why Sakura was in the state she was in? Had she tried to dig too deep? Had she tried to learn more about the other timeline?

Without Sakura's healing abilities and with Tsunade taken out by Madara, there was no one capable of healing hundreds at a time. More importantly: there was no-one to heal Naruto after the Kyuubi was finally extracted and after the death of Sakura, Sasuke hadn't cared half as much about saving the world.

With his death, they all fell victim to the Infinite Tsukuyomi jutsu, cast by Uchiha Madara.

There was too much information to take in. By the time he was released, Itachi felt himself fall to his knees and he winced, eyes soon squeezing shut as he tried to fight through the pain.

"As you can see, I dealt with the major threats," the other Itachi stated calmly.

Despite it being black all around them, Itachi still squinted while opening his eyes. Inner-Sakura was scowling, her eyes darting between them both until finally, she shut them, muttering, "And this is how he pushed Sakura."

Suddenly, the blackness around them shifted, turning into memories. It was similar to how he would extract information with his sharingan, except this way, it wouldn't harm Sakura's already damaged mentality. And he felt sickened as he witnessed the death of Yamanaka Ino, as he felt everything Sakura had experienced in that moment, accompanied by her first ever kill.

"He killed Ino-Pig," Inner-Sakura seethed and, alarmingly, seemed to grow in size by the smallest amount, like her rage changed her appearance. "He might not have cast the jutsu, but he allowed it to happen. All for the sake of pushing Sakura."

Like how he tortured Sasuke.

Slowly, shakily, Itachi pulled himself to his feet.

It just couldn't be helped. Not to mention it felt good, his fist slamming into the face of his other self. The cold gaze finally faltered as he staggered back, features contorting with pain.

"That was for Sakura," he told him coldly. "How could you put her through that? She is still grieving for the death of her best friend."

Rubbing his jaw, the other Itachi turned to face him, replying, "It was necessary-"

He punched him again.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "That one was for Sasuke."

How could he have put his brother through so much pain? What sort of brother did that make him? Leaving Sasuke to suffer in such a way was… It was inhumane. It was barbaric. And the aftereffects of that torture would… Would he have ever gotten over that? Would he have lived a life of solitude and darkness after all that happened? Would he have found love?

"You-"

Again, Itachi cut him off with another punch, his upper lip curling as the other Itachi fell to the ground.

"That is for your arrogance," he muttered, ignoring Inner-Sakura as she came to stand by his side. "If you love someone, you do all you can to prevent them from experiencing pain and suffering."

It was childish to think it, but Itachi knew that, had he been capable of reviving the dead without nasty consequences or sacrifices, he would have brought Ino back to Sakura. Even if it was only to soothe that ache in her heart, one that he only caught a glimpse of as he watched Shisui commit suicide, he would bring Yamanaka Ino back.

"Are you finished?"

The cold expression was back, along with his bored tone. "No, you are," Itachi responded with equal coldness, eyes narrowing. "I will thank you for all you have done for our timeline, but I assure you now, you will not be sticking around any longer."

Inner-Sakura nodded once, though surprised him by saying softly, "Go and be with your Sakura."

He wasn't surprised when the other Itachi smiled and shut his eyes, features relaxing. If what he'd said was true, then he'd been waiting a long time to leave their world. "Thank you."

* * *

When he eventually returned to reality, Itachi found Sakura clinging to him tightly, her green eyes wide with worry and pain. Was she completely clueless to the fact his other self was inside her mind? If so, it was probably because of Inner-Sakura wanting to protect her mentality. That was basically what she was created for, wasn't it?

Sighing in defeat, he brought her close to him, wrapping his arms around her. Blaming Sakura would have been the easy thing to do. However, he knew himself. He knew how persuasive and manipulative he could be, especially after seeing the other Itachi's memories.

"I'm tired of the secrets," she whispered brokenly into his chest.

"As am I." Sakura pulled back at that, frowning minutely. Knowing he had to explain himself, Itachi said, "I only saw the memories of his own timeline."

Was there a reason why he wasn't shown what he'd done in their timeline? Was there a reason why Inner-Sakura and the other Itachi kept his presence in her mind a secret? Now that the chakra had been used to communicate with him, Itachi was certain that his presence should disappear. It was for the best.

Her frown deepened, showing how troubled she felt. "Do you want to see…?"

Curiosity wanted him to accept. His aching head wanted him to decline. But he knew, deep down, that it would help him understand her more. If he saw her time with the other Itachi, would it help him understand why she was hurting so badly?

"Only if you can handle it," Itachi told her after a few moments. "You are still exhausted, Sakura."

She smiled weakly. "The sooner, the better."

Yes, he had to agree. As soon as they were done, he could then set his plan into motion.

When she refused to break eye contact, Itachi nodded and as he blinked, he felt the power in his eyes surge as he activated his sharingan. Part of him wanted to see how much of a power boost the mangekyō would give him in extracting information, but the other Itachi's memories were still fresh in his mind. If he used it on Sakura, in her weakened state, she would die. There were no ifs or maybes.

Despite his concerns of her well-being, he was also keen to end the secrets between them. Itachi was tired of seeing Sakura so mentally exhausted. His Sakura was a proud woman, she was powerful. It hurt that he was the one who changed that, even if it was a different version of himself. So, he was determined to be the one who fixed it.

Keeping a hold of her, Itachi slowly began to sit and she followed, eyes never leaving his even as they got comfortable. He leaned her back against the desk, but was taken by surprise when she lifted her hips and lowered them again, this time sitting on his lap and wrapping her legs around him. Behind the desk, they were hidden from view and so he didn't argue about it. Instead, he shifted closer to the desk, with them all but under it.

At her nod, informing him she was comfortable and ready, Itachi reached up and cupped her face, holding her still as he once again entered her mind.

He was glad he was sat down.

Rather than being confronted by the other version of himself and Inner-Sakura, he was overwhelmed by her own memories. They played all around him in her mind, giving him glimpses of which memory held what, aiding him in finding his way to…

Her saviour?

Was that how she saw him?

As the memories began, he found it was somewhat fitting. On countless occasions, ever since she was twelve years old, he'd saved her. Granted, she thought he was Sasuke's saviour – which would have made more sense, if he hadn't seen the other memories. There was understandable confusion whenever she met him, as she recognised the voice, but couldn't pinpoint where from. She vaguely recognised the cloak, but again, couldn't find from where until they faced Akasuna no Sasori.

Seeing himself from her eyes was peculiar, he would admit. It amused him how greatly he'd annoyed her in the beginning and during their mission. They argued like an old married couple, he realised and the personality traits that had once annoyed him, now endeared her to him.

_Arrogant asshole!_

Itachi chuckled at that angered thought accompanying the memories. When watching a person's memories, he could hear all the thoughts at that time, too. It helped with interrogation.

_Bastard. Shannaro!_

He would admit: back then, he'd been cold to her. Unknowingly cold and, yes, an arrogant asshole, too. At one point, she even asked him about the sharingan after catching a glimpse of his other self's. His reply had her growing suspicious of Shisui, however. He'd been of no help to her.

As the memories progressed, on the outside, Itachi felt himself press his forehead to hers, arms once more wrapping around her.

It was during their mission that she found out about his identity, and it warmed his heart that she'd been so protective of him. The mere thought of somebody stealing his identity had infuriated her, but saving him from Sasori and Deidara had taken priority. Before she had the chance, however, the other version of himself disappeared, sparking a rare flame of jealousy within him as he teased her, lifting his shirt and enjoying the blush on her cheeks.

The jealousy vanished as he watched her take care of him for the first time. Despite their differences during the mission, she'd been gentle with him, continuously checking on him rather than tending to her own wounds. That was who Sakura was, though. While her temper could be volatile and vicious, she had the most caring, protective nature when it came to her patients and the people she loved. Of course, Itachi knew she didn't love him yet. It simply felt better than referring to himself as her patient.

He skipped through the next few memories even though he wished to see them from her perspective, going straight for the next one with her so-called Saviour. They were on the roof of her building and-

The flickering flame of jealousy grew immensely at her attempt of seducing him.

How…?

It was merely to find out what he'd been to her other self, but it still caused a dull ache in his chest, caused his stomach to twist horrifically. What if he hadn't pushed her away? What would have happened between them? Fortunately, his other self's love and loyalty to his Sakura had been too strong to fall for the seduction. All it caused him was pain, he realised. He already knew from the other memories that nothing sexual happened between the other versions of themselves and the reminder had been painful to him. They never got the chance to pursue their feelings.

Once again, Itachi skimmed through the following memories. While he hadn't seen them for himself, he could tell the other Itachi was simply repeating himself, explaining what he was. Again, they hadn't a clue what happened, or why.

As he skipped through the memories, he was able to point out the first time they'd sparred, her promotion to ANBU and being introduced to his team, her first ANBU mission (it stunned him how, before the mission, Shisui informed her that he also knew of the other Itachi's presence). During that time, she didn't see his other self. Not until the first mission was over, anyway.

Like himself, he asked her to continue shining brightly.

It brought an awful feeling to the front of his mind, but not jealousy. It made him wonder how he would feel had their positions been reversed. Already, Itachi thought of Sakura as someone who was incredibly dear to him. He couldn't imagine losing her, or being forced to live the life the other Itachi was forced to live.

Unlike Sakura, in her memories, he didn't fail to notice the glances their Hokage threw her way and in that moment, he realised the Yondaime also knew. It didn't offer him much comfort.

There was no 'Saviour' for quite a while afterwards, he realised. It didn't bother her too greatly, was something else he'd noticed. She was too busy with ANBU and bettering her skills. During the time skip, she stopped relying heavily on her monstrous strength and instead learned jutsu from her teammates, putting them into practise during missions. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they failed. It made him proud how she didn't agonise over it, though.

As they reached another memory, Itachi stopped skipping, despite knowing it was wrong. He watched through her eyes as they kissed for the first time, smiling minutely at the feelings she failed to acknowledge. They were more alike than she was ever going to admit.

But then he was yelling at her and he felt how it made her feel. The guilt he'd previously felt returned at full force and on the outside, his hold on her increased in strength, like he was trying to bring her impossibly closer. There was nothing he could say or do to make up for the pain he caused when he believed Izumi's lies.

Her pain increased immensely as she faced off with Nara Shikamaru and although at the time he'd had a sneaking suspicion _why_ she hadn't gone at full strength against him, it was now confirmed as he watched the memory play out. In her eyes, she'd foolishly believed that he'd needed it, because she was the only one who wouldn't kill him for attacking her. It made him angry then, and it made him angry now.

Again, Itachi began skipping through the memories. Drawing it out for too long would cause damage to her mind, which was already fragile. As much as he would have liked to relive their memories together through her eyes, he continued with searching for his other self.

He returned as they travelled to the desert, where Naruto was to train with the Kazekage's son, Sabaku no Gaara. It was only supposed to be Sakura who spoke with him and when Shisui interrupted, it was obvious how his presence affected Itachi. He grew sickeningly pale and quiet, once more making him question how he could put another through the pain of losing a best friend who was more like a sibling to them. However, the meeting went on. He informed Shisui and Sakura that his illness had returned – an illness he was born with, much to Itachi's horror. Would he also become ill one day? Was there any way to treat it? It seemed Sakura had also grown incredibly worried about it, too and it gave him some peace of mind to know that she was keeping her eye on him.

All thoughts of his own health vanished when the other Itachi was told of there being more mangekyō users than he'd originally thought. According to him, he'd saved his father's friend, therefore prevented the awakening of the mangekyō. It was a shame said friend had died of a heart attack a few years back. They'd been on duty together when it happened, and he'd died in his father's arms. He'd been helpless to save him.

It made him angry, there was no doubt about that, but because he'd seen his other self's memories, he could understand why he went to such extreme lengths. Due to Sakura and Shisui's following conversations regarding him, it was apparent to them all that staying in their timeline was affecting his mentality, just as it was affecting Sakura's by knowing of his and the other universe's existence.

In his own timeline, Fugaku had been willing to stage a coup d'état. His mangekyō was powerful and was about to be used on the other Konoha. Itachi was by no means okay with his father's eyes being stolen, but at least it was only his eyes that were taken and not his life. With the direction his other self's mind had been going…

Well, there was a reason why he'd been feared in his own timeline.

Again, some time went by before she saw him again. It was the last time she'd ever see him and Itachi found himself in a state of shock and awe as he witnessed only a fraction of the power the other Itachi displayed, copying the jutsu used to memory. He wondered how powerful he would have been, had he not been terminally ill.

Too soon, however, he was confronted by the emotions Sakura felt as he died in her arms. They were overwhelming. Her sorrow and anguish, her devastating feeling of helplessness.

Itachi shut his eyes, effectively breaking the contact of their gazes. There was no use in continuing.

"I'm sorry," he heard her whisper.

Why was she sorry? It wasn't like Sakura asked for any of that. Had his other self not involved himself in her life, she could have been living peacefully. Her friend would still be alive. Without the other Itachi's pushing, she never would have had such a humongous growth in strength, therefore wouldn't be a part of ANBU.

But… without him, they wouldn't be where they were today, together.

Itachi simply wished she hadn't had to suffer.

Deactivating his sharingan, he opened his eyes, watching her broken expression while it caused a vicious ache in his chest. Hurting those around them seemed to be something he and the other Itachi had in common. On countless occasions, they'd hurt Sakura. Yet she continued to stand by their sides loyally, doing all she could to help them.

Did he believe she had a hand in the attack on his father? No. After all, Shisui was the one who informed the other Itachi of his mangekyō – Sakura hadn't known about it at all. From her memories and thoughts, she'd believed that it was him who secretly had the mangekyō, not his father. Could she have said something about the possibility of there being an attack? Sure, but who would have believed her? And had they prevented it, she would then be accused of having a part in the attack.

"Please say something," Sakura pleaded, still whispering. Her hands came between them, hesitating for a moment before resting on his chest, fingers tangling in his shirt. "Please."

He opened his mouth, about to tell her whatever thoughts he managed to change into words, when he suddenly sensed another's presence approaching his study. Quick to respond, he dropped his chakra to an unnoticeable level, prompting Sakura to do the same with his expression alone. Fortunately, she did and Itachi glanced behind himself, reaching out and silently bringing his chair closer to the desk.

There was a slow knock on the door. He could sense the chakra more clearly now that they were closer and was able to tell that it was his mother.

It felt ridiculous hiding from her, like he was a hormonal teenager sneaking a girl into his bedroom instead of a grown man and the patriarch of the clan, but he knew that because of who he was, he had to think carefully before acting. Being caught with a woman beneath his desk, on top of looking as drained as they felt, wouldn't be the best of ideas. His mother cared too much about how they appeared, and the image the village and their clan had of them.

Green eyes widened when the door creaked open and Itachi brought his hand to her mouth, quietening her breathing. He could sense Mikoto standing in the doorway, but why she was doing that, he couldn't tell. She was hesitating to do something, but what?

They heard a soft sigh, followed by the door shutting once more. Itachi listened carefully before slowly removing his hand from Sakura's mouth, eyes meeting hers. She looked shy and there was an endearing blush dashed across her cheeks. Despite the mess they were in, he found himself smiling, albeit tiredly.

"What do we do now?" she asked quietly.

* * *

_The expression on his friend's face was grave, appearing dark and serious as he regarded him. "She's not going to have much of a choice. When she comes to you, Itachi, do not push her away or leave her alone in this. Use your sharingan and it'll tell you all you need to know, but…" For the briefest of moments, pain flitted over Shisui's features, leaving Itachi stunned. "I haven't acted on her declining mental health because she's following strict orders, even if she doesn't know it yet."_

* * *

She had completed her orders. She had allowed him to confront his other self and take note of the abilities his mangekyō possessed. As he'd entered her mind with his sharingan, those techniques were copied. They would not be forgotten, especially since they were his own techniques.

"Now…" He sighed. Part of him felt guilty for what they now had to do, because it was obvious the impact the other Itachi had on her life was important to her, but if they didn't do it, it would drive her insane. "Now we must erase him from our world and memories, Sakura."

It was time to let go.


	45. Only The Dead Are Forever Young

**Chapter 45**

**Only The Dead Are Forever Young**

* * *

Erase…

Sakura could only stare up at him dumbly, her heart feeling as though it was being shredded by the very same hands that were holding her so kindly, so gently. The ache it caused was… it was indescribable. It made her nauseous. The man she'd come to love wanted her to…

"No."

There was no anger in his features. No annoyance and loss of patience. Itachi appeared as understanding, like he knew how difficult it would be for her to agree to his plan. It made her feel even angrier.

"Sakura, you must," he told her quietly. "The things you have seen, the knowledge that has been shared with you, is going to drive you insane. Multiverse theory is called a theory for a reason. There are bound to be laws about interactions between universes."

She didn't care. Itachi could take his stupid laws and shove them up his ass, because there wasn't a chance in hell that she was forgetting anything that had happened. After all the heartache it caused, after she somewhat managed to overcome said heartache, she couldn't just forget about it all. She couldn't. She refused.

He sighed, apparently reading her defiance. "Listen to me, Sakura. I-"

The once desperate hold on him switched, her fist tangling in his shirt and yanking him down to her height, like the difference would give him a better insight as to why she refused so vehemently. "No, _you_ listen," she snarled, grip tightening. It was obvious she'd taken him by surprise, for he was staring down at her in shock. "I've been through way too much shit, suffered so much heartbreak, to take the easy way out and forget any of it happened."

Fractionally, Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Even if it results in you being stripped of your title as a kunoichi, or a medic?" She refused to give him a reaction, her gaze as cold as his own. "Hokage-sama will have no choice but to do so. In your current state, you are not capable of completing missions. Tsunade-sama is refusing to discharge you from the hospital. What if that changes to being sectioned indefinitely? What if your mental health continues to decline?" Her hands were slowly covered by his as he held onto her, closing his fists around her shaking ones. "I refuse to sit back and watch that happen, Sakura. You mean too much for me to allow this to destroy you. If that means erasing that man from the memories of everyone he interacted with, then so be it."

"That man…" she repeated in a mutter. "_That man_ saved my life."

"He also allowed your best friend to die, all for the sake of pushing you."

She shut her eyes, willing the vicious ache away. How could Itachi use that against her? Didn't he think she knew… She knew exactly what the other Itachi had done and why he did it. Ino's death still plagued her dreams, turning sweet, happy memories to haunting, never-ending nightmares. It changed beautiful fields filled with blooming flowers to a bloodbath.

It left her feeling torn between her loyalty and love for Ino, and her loyalty for her saviour.

"No," whispered Sakura. Gods, she hadn't meant to sound so tired, like she lacked conviction.

"He warned you not to get attached, Sakura," Itachi murmured.

He frowned down at her, but despite them both knowing he could overpower her in her current state, he didn't put more distance between them. Their faces continued to stay millimetres apart, gazes locked and serious. It was a standoff.

"I can't," she replied shakily. "I don't want to forget. What if…" Much to her horror, she broke eye contact, her eyes squeezing shut to try and fight the tears threatening to fill them. "What if we…?"

"Sakura." She shook her head when he tried to get her to look at him, stubbornly fighting back the sob clawing its way up her throat. "I fell in love with you long before I knew of his existence. I will continue to love you long after he is gone from our memories." There was a pause, one where she was tempted to look at him. "Unless…" It pained her to hear the uncertainty that suddenly entered his tone, like something was only just occurring to him and was now causing him upset. "Unless your feelings for him are-"

She didn't let him finish. She couldn't. "I don't love him," Sakura managed to say in a steady voice, green eyes finally opening to meet his wary gaze. It was like she could feel his ice walls coming up around him, trying to protect his heart. "But he encouraged me to be patient with you. He taught me so much, Itachi. Without his guidance, without his pushing, I…" The tears finally fell. "I would've given up a long time ago."

There was reluctant acceptance in his eyes, along with pain and understanding. "I hurt you many times in the past, Sakura. It is understandable why you would have given up on me."

"What if that all disappears?" she questioned, voice unable to go any louder than a helpless whisper. "What if I forget why I'm still fighting?"

This time, he was the one who looked away, but when their eyes met again, he was determined. He was pushing his pain away and instead preparing himself to fight. "Then I will be the one who reminds you. It is strange to think, as I wasn't the one who shared such information, but you know me better than anyone. You know in your heart that I am stubborn, that I am willing to fight until my dying breath." A small smirk pulled at his lips and the hold on her hands became less restraining and more gentle, more comforting. "Even if you go back to yelling at me and growing annoyed at the mere sight of me, I will fight for you." The smirk slipped away into a frown. "I was serious when I told you I wished to give 'us' a try, Sakura. So, if you happen to forget why you're fighting, then I will find and give you new reasons to continue."

In the back of her mind, Sakura knew that the other Itachi would want the same thing, that he would want her to forget he ever existed. But… she could still _feel_ him in her arms as he died, could still hear his final breath. She continued to feel the anguish she'd felt that night like it was happening over and over again. How could she banish him from her mind and go on with her life, acting like he never even existed?

"That universe is probably gone, Sakura," Itachi reminded her gently. "If not from the effects of time travel, then from the war involving Uchiha Madara."

"He's done so much for us," she argued weakly.

"And he knows that we are grateful for that, even if we are oblivious." He smiled, albeit slightly. "He has seen inside your mind. He knows how strongly you feel."

"Then he-"

"Sakura," Itachi said with a sigh, once more looking troubled. "Don't you think it is time to let him go so that he can be at peace? His ties to our world makes it impossible for him to move on."

What was that supposed to mean? He was dead. She _cremated_ him so that he would remain undiscovered! He-

Oh, no.

He did not.

Again, Itachi sighed. "The memories he shared with you before his death were laced with his chakra, more than likely due to using his sharingan to give them to you. Somehow, with that chakra, he clung to our world."

"He's inside me-" she cut herself off, cheeks burning as she rethought her choice of words. "Did he know…?"

"I'm still unsure." He frowned again, this time thoughtfully. "It is possible he merely wished to be there to help explain all that has transpired, as he knows how I could have reacted regarding the attack on my father."

Shit. Somehow, she'd forgotten about that. "Itachi-"

"I understand, Sakura," he murmured. "I am not saying I agree with it, but I understand why it happened."

Sakura couldn't help but frown at that. "Aren't you angry? That's your dad."

"Yes," he replied simply, dark eyes tired. "However, I am choosing to look at the entire forest, rather than a single tree. I was shown what happened to my clan in the other timeline, Sakura. If my father must lose his sharingan to prevent that, then so be it."

What was going through his mind? More than anything, she wished she could read it. How someone could talk so casually about an attack that had left their father a shell of the man he once was, was beyond her. Had it been herself in his position, she would have lashed out. She would have screamed and raged and-

No, Itachi was right. They had to focus on the bigger picture.

"I'm sorry."

The hands that were once holding hers disappeared, coming to her face and cupping her cheeks tenderly. "You showed me your memories. I know that it has been tearing you up on the inside." She felt his frown as their foreheads came together and she shifted, arms wrapping around his waist. "But it was not your fault. All that has happened, all that involves that man, is not your fault. Not his death, not the attack on my father and certainly not Yamanaka-san's death."

Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Green eyes squeezed shut as the familiar ache in her heart returned. "You said it yourself," she forced out, grip intensifying in strength. "He did it to push me. Ino would still be here if it weren't-"

"She died to protect her precious people," he interjected, voice firm and serious. "No, that does not excuse what he did, but know that it was never your fault, Sakura."

She couldn't have been more thankful when Itachi released her face to embrace her tightly, allowing her to bury her face into his chest. His cheek rested on the top of her head and as he sighed, it tickled her scalp.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

He was letting her think about it, although Sakura knew she didn't have a choice in erasing the other Itachi from her memories.

While she knew it was for the best, for even she could tell her mental health was rapidly declining, it just felt… wrong. She'd been through so much with him – he'd helped her so many times. To simply erase him, like his presence never mattered at all, caused a horrible ache in her heart.

Sakura paused in entering her apartment, key hesitating to slot into the lock as she sensed a presence inside. Three, in fact. Effortlessly, she figured out who they were (Naruto's endless supply of chakra was a dead giveaway) and debated on whether she could deal with them at that moment in time. It was wrong of her to think that, as they'd been nothing but supportive, but she needed time alone.

She sighed and unlocked the door, deciding it was best to find out what they wanted. As it swung open, she was immediately greeted by the sight of the three men relaxing in her living room. Having them so close to Ino's altar made her uncomfortable and she swallowed, quietly shutting the door.

"We heard you escaped from the hospital," Kakashi said cheerfully. "Nice work."

Hardly. For now, she was fine. In a few hours, however, Tsunade was going to punish her. It was like Itachi said: Tsunade didn't want to discharge her. She would be lucky if she wasn't sectioned.

"What are you all doing here?" she asked. Keeping her gaze away from the altar, she narrowed her eyes, taking in her former sensei's relaxed slouch on her sofa, along with Sasuke and Naruto standing around her living room. "Is this the search party?"

It was obvious Naruto wanted to say something about the altar. She could tell by the way his blue eyes continuously glanced at it, by the way he shifted uncomfortably whenever they did. Sasuke seemed less fazed by it, his dark stare instead focused on her intently. His eyes had always been intense, but now they seemed even more so.

"Minato-sensei is bringing Team Seven back," Kakashi informed her simply and stood, closing his book with a sharp snap. "Under the name 'Squad Seven', instead."

Squad…

No.

It was nearly impossible masking her horror.

Naruto was suddenly by her side, throwing his arm over her shoulder and bringing her to his side. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, not noticing her startle at the sudden contact. "Isn't it great, Sakura-chan?" he exclaimed. "We're together again."

What the hell was Minato thinking? Her boys couldn't join ANBU. Sasuke had always been distant, had always seemed so unapproachable and lost in his head – joining ANBU would only amplify that part of his personality. And then what about Naruto? She couldn't see him lose his happy-go-lucky personality. It would be like losing him altogether.

"I'll be your captain for a while," Kakashi added and Sakura noticed how closely he was watching her, like he knew exactly what was going through her mind. "During that time, you'll be like my shadow, learning everything I have to offer about how to captain an ANBU squad."

Captain an…

What if she didn't want that anymore? ANBU needed her, sure, but why did she have to become a captain? Why couldn't she stay an ordinary operative?

But as she met the gazes of Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura realised with a heavy heart that she was probably the best person for the job. Naruto was too unpredictable and he threw punches first, _then_ asked questions. He went into battle screaming and yelling. It was like he didn't even know the meaning of the word stealth. On the other hand, there was Sasuke. While he was undoubtedly talented and powerful, he had absolutely zero experience of ANBU.

How was she supposed to captain a team, though? She was losing her freaking mind. There was way too much weighing her down and it could potentially put them at risk. It could get them _killed_. Her boys. The boys she'd grown up with and shared so much with. The ones who'd helped her through the darkest times she'd ever faced. The ones who helped her stand up again after Ino's death. The ones who encouraged her and protected her.

Taking Naruto by surprise, she returned his one-armed embrace, dragging Sasuke into it faster than he could stop her.

She needed to be at her best for her boys. She had to protect them.

She had to let go of the other Itachi.

* * *

They spent the following two hours discussing training, ANBU tattoos and future missions. As expected of him, Naruto wanted the missions she and her former squad took right off the bat, not realising they were given those missions due to the squad's combined skills and experience. Had she not had her Byakugō no In, or Sai's reconnaissance skills, or Shisui's, Itachi's and Neji's eyes, then they wouldn't have received the missions.

Fortunately, he agreed with them after Kakashi drilled it into him that they weren't equipped for the deadlier missions. They would start off small. Perhaps assassination or infiltration missions. Perhaps even a protection detail. There would be no triple s-ranked missions until they'd proven themselves. If it was just herself and Kakashi, then sure. She could see it happening. But not with Sasuke and Naruto on the squad.

Had she been younger, Sakura would have felt smug. Like when she and Ino had competed during Tsunade's lessons, wanting to one up each other, and she would always come out on top. However, she knew it was petty.

With the two boys out of the apartment, she turned to face Kakashi, not even bothering to keep her strong front up. In response, he sighed. Her appearance must have been startling – or at least worrying – because he sat her down on the sofa, passing her a cooling cup of tea.

"Are you going back?"

Sakura shook her head.

"I'll see what I can do," he told her, tone mildly understanding. It irked her. How could Kakashi possibly understand her situation? "Minato-sensei can keep Tsunade-sama at bay, but he can't spare you from her wrath the next time you see her."

Yeah, she knew that already. And there was no amount of preparing herself for her wrath, either.

"I only have one question."

"What is it?" she asked blandly, already knowing what it would be.

"Can you handle it?" Kakashi asked. His dark eye was fixed on her face, watching her expressions carefully, calculatingly. "Can you handle remaining in ANBU?"

It would be pitiful if she couldn't. Moreover, now that her boys were promoted to ANBU, in her squad no less, it would look suspicious if she suddenly retired. They would think it had something to do with them, as they could never know the truth. As much as she wanted to tell them of the hell she'd been through, Sakura knew that it was impossible. The less people who knew, the better.

She simply wished she could be honest with them. She was tired. Exhausted, in fact. Tired of the never-ending ache in her heart, one that only grew in size whenever she took part in another soul-destroying mission. Tired of the fighting, of the crushing fear of battles to the death. And she was so fucking tired of giving her all for a village that never gave anything back other than suffer-

Green eyes went wide as her thoughts came to an abrupt halt, hands shaking around the cup of tea that was no doubt cold by now. Itachi was right. While Sakura knew it was affecting her mental health, she'd never realised how badly it affected her. To mix the two timelines up, assuming her own village was…

"Sakura?"

She'd made her mind up about erasing the other Itachi earlier, after she was informed of Team Seven's reunion as Squad Seven. However, that solidified her decision. What would happen if she had a moment like that while on a mission? It could result in her death, or her boys. That could never happen. She couldn't lose them. She couldn't.

"I'm working on it," she told him truthfully.

It was difficult ignoring his questioning, worried gaze. Even harder to ignore the sickening heartbreak at the realisation she would never be able to remember the man who'd saved her countless times, who'd selflessly saved their village from becoming like his own.

Like Itachi had said himself: he would want her to let go and move on.

"You know, I didn't believe Naruto when he told me how difficult it was to read you now," Kakashi commented lightly, but she could tell it bothered him. "You've always been open with us."

"More like a whiny brat who cried over everything," she said with a sigh of annoyance. "I was useless back then."

"Don't ever call yourself that," he said firmly, eye narrowing and taking her by surprise. For some reason, it angered him and she couldn't understand why. Didn't he feel the same way? Kakashi was, after all, the one who wiped away her tears and comforted her time and time again. Surely that got annoying? "You have never been useless, Sakura. Whiny, yes, but never useless."

"Thanks," Sakura mumbled sarcastically, going back to staring at her cold tea. Why was she still holding it?

Just as she went to place it down, Kakashi stopped her by saying, "We have never thought of you as useless. To us, you're a valued member of Team Seven. Both Naruto and – while he likes to deny it – _Sasuke_ were disheartened when you no longer went on missions with them. You have always been a trio. You have always been together."

Yes, she knew that, too. She knew it secretly broke their hearts when they found out she was in ANBU, meaning they were no longer together.

"This time, I am going to be a better sensei to you, Sakura," he told her more seriously, almost saying it like it was a vow. "I will work harder for you and with you. My position on the squad is temporary, until I, and I alone, deem you ready to lead the squad without my guidance. During that time, I'm going to teach you as much as I can. Instead of just saying it, I _am_ going to work with you on genjutsu."

Sakura frowned up at him, grip tightening on her cup again. "But I haven't… I haven't kept up with genjutsu at all," she exclaimed. "I-"

"Which is why I will be working with you on it. You're originally a genjutsu type, Sakura. A damn good one, at that. I believe with enough time and energy, you'll give Kurenai a run for her money."

Kurenai was the best genjutsu user (without the sharingan) in their village. Imagining herself being better than her was simply ludicrous. It just wouldn't happen. How many years had Kurenai spent honing her skills? Definitely longer than Sakura had even been alive (although she would never say that to the woman's face). She had a hundred years of training before catching up to her level, never mind surpassing her.

And why the hell was she still holding the stupid cup? Once again, she went to put it down, but was stopped in her tracks again.

"Stop doubting yourself," reprimanded Kakashi. "I would understand if your doubts were directed towards me, but they're not. Stop it, or else you never will succeed. We already know you're capable of achieving the impossible, Sakura. People believed there would never be a medic-nin as great as Tsunade-sama, and then you came along and surpassed her in a handful of years."

It was rare for her former sensei to compliment anyone and she accepted the stroke to her ego with open arms. Not believing him was impossible, too. The look he gave her was his '_you'_ expression, where all his attention was on the person he was talking to, and nothing and no-one was more important than them. She could easily understand why women fawned over him now that she was older, although it felt odd viewing him in that light.

"I just think using Kurenai-senpai as a goal is…" She shook her head, unable to find an appropriate word to use for the daunting feeling it filled her with. "Unless I'm suddenly given the sharingan, I don't see that happening, Kakashi-sensei."

"We'll see," he replied cheerfully and stood, ruffling her hair in that annoying way he was wont to do. "I honestly believe you'll surprise yourself, Sakura."

Also standing, she followed him to the door, raising an eyebrow when he turned to face her again, hand lingering over the handle. "I'm going to address the elephant in the room." Sakura sighed at that, but didn't stop him. "The altar you built for Ino…" Kakashi paused for a few moments, like he was trying to find the right words. "It's beautiful."

Not the reaction she'd been expecting and slowly, a smile pulled at her lips, widening when he gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze and left. Shutting the door, Sakura leaned against it, gaze drifting over to the altar. Somehow, she'd missed the single flower that was placed in front of Ino's picture. It was a single Iris and the meaning was not lost on her.

Hope, cherished friendship and valour.

It strengthened her resolve, increased her determination to be the best for her boys, no matter the cost.

Pushing away from the door, Sakura paused, glancing down at her hand, eyes narrowing on the stone-cold tea.

Then, she growled, "Why the hell am I still holding this thing?"

* * *

On her way to the Hokage Tower, Sakura didn't fail to notice several of the villagers smiling more genuinely in her direction. Previously, their smiles had been forced – not unkindly, but because of witnessing her struggle since Ino's death. They were smiles of condolences, of pity, as they all knew how close they'd been. They weren't something she wanted to see. Now, however, they were happier. They weren't negative in any way. It brightened her already high mood.

She knew that by saying nothing could ruin her good mood, something was bound to not only ruin it, but tear it to shreds and then decimate those tiny pieces. It happened every freaking time. However, Sakura was still going to say it.

Nothing was going to bring her down.

Things weren't exactly coming together, and she was kind of hesitant about reuniting with her boys – in ANBU, no less – but nonetheless, she and her boys were back together, everything was out in the open with Itachi and he was _still_ willing to give their relationship a try. Correction: he was willing to fight for them, should she forget her reasons for staying by his side. She wasn't the only one who'd grown in the past two years or so.

On the way to the tower, she spotted Hinata as the girl walked through the market with her cousin, the pair of them chatting easily as they made their way to what Sakura presumed was the training grounds. It was probably ridiculous, but it had pride blooming in her chest. The Hyuuga Clan was determined in changing their traditional, overbearing ways and while neither Neji nor Hinata would ever become the leader of the clan, she knew that Hanabi felt the same way. Already, they'd come so far. It was hard not to feel proud of them.

She waved as she caught their eyes, the pair seeming surprised that she was out of the hospital so soon. Sakura didn't linger long enough for them to start a conversation, or demand questions.

For as aloof as he liked to appear, Neji nagged almost as badly as she did when it came to illnesses and her patients. He believed health was a top priority and should they receive even the smallest of inclinations that something was wrong, then they should get it checked immediately (Lee told her once that, after he'd spent the better part of two days on his hands, resolute about breaking Gai's ridiculous record, Neji hadn't left him alone until he got a check-up at the hospital, ensuring that he hadn't done any damage to his brain or other organs).

It only went to prove that a person should never judge another based off their looks. Upon first meeting Hyuuga Neji, Sakura never would have thought that he'd be there for her on one of her darkest days. She'd thought he'd tell her to get over it – more politely than that, obviously. However, he took the time to speak with her, even righted her appearance when she looked a mess. Beneath his cold exterior, behind that infamous reputation, he cared deeply about the people in his life.

Realising she was becoming sentimental, Sakura picked up her pace, though didn't take the shortcut by leaping from the roofs. Chances were, Tsunade would be expecting that and she would take her out the second she spotted her. As well as that, she wanted to take the time to admire the beauty that was Konoha. It felt like she never got to do something as simple as that anymore.

Why wouldn't she want to admire the village? She worked so damn hard making sure Konoha was safe. She suffered and bled and endured so much bullshit to make sure the villagers lived peacefully, safely. And it seemed they were suddenly recognising her hard work and it filled her with so much happiness, so much pride that was completely directed towards herself, because she'd _earned_ those grateful, warm smiles. She'd earned their kindness, support and respect.

However, as she should have been expecting, her brilliant mood _was_ spoiled. On the outside, the Hokage Tower was calm and seemingly as peaceful as ever. Inside was a totally different story.

Annoyance flared to life as she was knocked over, but it only lasted for a few seconds as she heard the ANBU operative yell, "Everybody! Someone has managed to steal the Scroll of Seals!"

…What?

Despite being ordered to rest, despite having discharged herself earlier that day against Tsunade's wishes, she immediately gave chase, sparing a single nod with the operative before she was running ahead.

If somebody had managed to get their hands on that… There was no telling how many of their village's secrets and jutsu would be stolen. There wasn't only that, either. There were so many other highly classified scrolls in there, including information on the jutsu and techniques of _all_ previous Kage. There were weapons and other valuables locked away with those scrolls.

Damn it…

Did they have a traitor among them?

Minato was already out of his office and Sakura wasted no time in throwing herself out of his window, going straight for the small cabin that housed the forbidden items not far from the ANBU headquarters. Everyone seemed to be on high alert – the ANBU did, anyway. Those in the village were blissfully unaware of the potential danger looming over them.

It startled her as she spotted several of their operatives on the ground, bodies lifeless and unmoving. In the space of a single second, she bit her thumb, made several hand signs, before summoning a twelve-foot-tall part of Katsuyu's body.

"Please tend to the wounded, Katsuyu-sama," Sakura ordered, already rushing off after the traces of her Hokage's unmistakable chakra.

After a few extra moments, she came across more bodies, though these ones were the bodies of Kiri's ANBU. They would be the investigation unit, without a doubt, but the knowledge worried her greatly since they were used mainly before a war, sent out to gather information on the Kage or their villages. It made her stomach feel as though it was full of lead, had a cold sweat covering her skin despite the warm weather.

How could she have forgotten Yahiko, Konan and Nagato's presence in their village? While they were surely in hiding after the whole Temari and Kankuro incident (she made a mental note to write to him, as she'd promised she would), the news was still out there. The other villages would still be angered by their supposed betrayal, by the trio's supposed capturing of the tailed beasts. They had no way of knowing how many beasts were captured, or if any at all were captured.

Who was Kiri's Mizukage again? Sakura's green eyes widened as she realised that their Yondaime Mizukage had, in fact, died fairly recently and he happened to have been the jinchūriki for the Sanbi. However, she'd heard that it was one of their own who did it, one of the Seven-

Shit.

How could she have forgotten Hoshigaki Kisame, a member of the fake Akatsuki?

"Shit," she cursed and leapt into the trees, increasing her speed. Other ANBU were following her now, having been alerted by the same operative she had.

There was only one Kiri ANBU operative left and from the stature of that person, she could tell that it was a man. The other operatives were laying dead at his feet as he squared off against her Hokage, mask hiding his expression. There were just as many Konoha-nin dead and she said a silent prayer for them.

When it looked as though the Kiri-nin was about to attack, however, she left her cover of the trees despite Minato being more than capable of defending himself, anger making her vision turn red.

"Like I'd let you," Sakura snarled, catching the fists aimed for her Hokage's face. He remained still behind her, completely confident in her skills to protect him. "How dare you try to attack the Hokage!"

He attempted to break out of her vice-like grip on his fists, tried to pull away and create distance as he registered the colour of her hair and the diamond shaped seal on her forehead. It no longer filled her with the urge to shift her bangs to cover it. Instead, she embraced it. People knew not to screw with her.

"I'll be taking those scrolls back now," she muttered darkly.

A second later and she was slamming her knee into his gut with enhanced strength, breathing deeply to try and calm the twisting of her stomach as he fell lifelessly to the ground, his blood soaking her knee and thigh. The other operatives appeared seemingly out of nowhere, never pausing for a second as they immediately set to retrieving the scrolls, holding them out as their Hokage did a quick count to ensure they were all there.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Minato told her gratefully while eyeing the scrolls. Taking one scroll, he narrowed his blue eyes on it, something akin to displeasure showing on his features. "This particular scroll happens to be the Nidaime's. Had they learned the jutsu on here…" Blue eyes met green and he frowned, clearly troubled. "They would have been able to revive the dead."

They could… revive the dead?

Ino's face flashed through her mind, creating a nervous flutter in her stomach at the mere thought of seeing her once more, at the thought of being able to thank her for all she'd done for them, to tell her that they were doing okay – her boys, her parents, Asuma, herself. Anyone and everyone who meant something to her.

"At a price, of course," he added and his frown deepened. "After all, it is disrespectful to disturb the dead, wouldn't you say, Sakura-chan?"

A price. She bit her lip, fighting down the childish urge to learn the unforgivable jutsu. Minato was right: reviving the dead was disrespectful, as they'd died for what they'd believed in (in Ino's case). It wasn't natural to bring them back.

Still…

She turned her back on her Hokage as tears filled her eyes.

It would have been nice to see her face one last time.

There was a sigh, followed by the operatives disappearing from sight, taking scrolls and dead bodies with them and then she felt Minato place his hand on her shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze.

"I understand, Sakura-chan," he said quietly, tone of authority slipping now that it was only the two of them.

Pitifully, she turned to face him, keeping her head lowered in shame. It was ridiculous how quickly she'd gotten her hopes up at the thought of seeing Ino again, of being completely prepared to go through with whatever sacrifices had to be made in order to see her again.

"Does it ever stop?" asked Sakura, voice a mere whisper. Her hand came to her chest, over her heart. "The pain?"

Sadly, he shook his head, his blue eyes solemn and expression grim. "It sounds horribly cliché, but it _does_ get easier over time. You learn to accept the past for what it is, and move forward, coming back stronger."

From what she'd gathered of Minato, he'd lost his parents at some point. Naruto never spoke of any grandparents, or any other kinds of relatives, in fact. He never mentioned the Uzumaki Clan his mother came from, the one she vehemently refused to leave behind, going as far as to keep her surname even after marrying Minato. Whether it was his own choice or his parents, Naruto was also named Uzumaki rather than Namikaze. She wasn't sure why. She didn't think anyone knew why. Probably not even him.

"I got ahead of myself," Sakura apologised, knowing her behaviour would've caused suspicion. "Thinking I could see her one last time, say all the things I've been wanting to say since she died…"

Minato smiled at that. A small, warm smile that revealed the sadness in his eyes she only caught glimpses of from time to time. "You are not alone. Many have attempted to revive the dead, to bring back their loved ones even if it is only for one last meeting – a final goodbye, in fact."

But she could see clearly why it was wrong. The thought of learning the jutsu had been impulsive, had been her hoping for the ache in her heart to be relieved even by the smallest amount. Bringing back the dead wasn't natural. It went against the laws of nature. And that jutsu, in the wrong hands, was more than capable of completely and utterly destroying a person.

She was thinking of the war in the other timeline, the one Itachi had been revived to fight in. It hadn't crossed her mind as she watched the memories that she could do the same. Seeing the scroll, however, was a totally different matter. It was more real. It was within arms-length of her. It was entirely possible. There would be no pain in reviving Ino.

However, those who were brought back in that war were used as pawns, used against loved ones and comrades. Why anyone would create such an unforgivable jutsu, she'd never understand (okay, maybe she could, as she'd give anything to see Ino again). Sakura knew she would be devastated – no, _crushed_ – if she had to face Ino in battle, if she died by Ino's hand. All the while, her best friend would be powerless to fight against the jutsu, going through with the orders given to her by whoever cast the jutsu, killing family members and comrades and-

"We should leave them to rest in peace," Sakura said finally, smiling somewhat. So much for nothing ruining her good mood. "Speaking of the dead, Hokage-sama. I need to ask a favour of you."

"Oh?" he questioned and then gestured with his chin for them to walk back to the tower, their pace leisurely. "Is this concerning that man?"

Out in the open, they couldn't disclose any details or names. The less people who were dragged into the mess, the better. "Yeah," she answered with a sigh. "I've spoken with Itachi about him and told him everything. He believes we should erase him from our memories and our world."

Minato nodded, never interrupting and then asked, "Is that what you want?"

Again, she sighed and they came to a stop at the top of the Hokage Monument, looking out at the wonderful sight of Konoha. It was busier than ever and even from their places on top of the heads of the previous Hokage, they could hear the life within the village, could hear the chatter and laughter and feel the happiness. Again, she was reminded why she continued to endure.

"Not at first," Sakura replied truthfully. Her eyes were fixed on the village and she was unable to stop the warmth from entering her expression at the breath-taking beauty that was her village. "But now, I'm understanding his reasoning, even if it does seem a little abrupt or… excessive."

He smiled at that. "Others are not oblivious to your suffering, Sakura-chan, no matter how hard you try to hide it. Try to view things from his perspective. Itachi-san can finally understand what has been troubling you for a long time now, and he's determined to do whatever is necessary to ease your suffering, now that he's able to act on your troubles."

She… hadn't thought of it that way. While Sakura knew that Itachi had always looked out for her, even after or during their stupid arguments that now seemed so inconsequential, she hadn't thought about how it possibly affected him. She hadn't realised that her rapidly declining health, or just the fact she was troubled, would affect him.

But, why wouldn't it?

Being around Minato made her feel peaceful. He was so calm, so laid back. While she was more than certain there were people who felt it around him (Naruto and Kushina being shining examples, followed closely by Tsunade), it was impossible for her to hold onto her anger. Any negativity she felt, he managed to break down and make it evaporate, like it hadn't been there in the first place.

Her earlier mood was slowly but surely returning to her, causing her to fight back her smile. It felt wrong to smile while discussing erasing someone who'd done so much to protect their world from their memories, like he didn't even matter.

"Personally," Minato began, eyes continuing to watch his village with great pride. "I believe it will be the right thing to do, Sakura-chan. Though unpleasant, it will free you from all that is weighing you down."

"I want to be the one who tells Shisui," she said seriously, leaving no room for argument. "It should come from me."

They'd had each other's backs through, more or less, the entire ordeal. They'd been there for one another, determined on doing all they could to save the other Itachi, to prevent his mistakes from leading to even bigger mistakes. And when he died, Shisui had been there. He had comforted her when she needed a friend the most. It seemed only fair that she offered that same comfort now. Itachi – even if it had been a different version – was like his little brother. Erasing him from his memory… It wasn't going to be easy for him.

"I understand." Turning his head to the side, he regarded her silently for a few moments, before asking, "When would you like-"

"The sooner, the better," she said. "And please don't let it be Inoichi-san." She knew he was the best when it came to the mind, but she didn't feel like torturing him with the memory of his daughter's death, followed by the realisation that it was all for the sake of pushing her. "Anyone but Inoichi-san."

"How about Morino Ibiki?" he asked. "While he isn't as gentle as Inoichi-san, he gets the job done."

Reluctantly, she agreed. She'd never liked Ibiki and he'd never liked her. But she would choose anyone as long as it wasn't Ino's father.

"Tomorrow, then."

Green eyes looked out at the village once more and Sakura reminded herself why she was agreeing to erasing him from her memories and their world. It was necessary, even though her heart screamed at her that she was the worst person in the world for doing it, screaming that she was throwing away all he'd ever done for them like it meant absolutely nothing. But it didn't. Everything he'd done, he'd done to prevent the horrors he'd been forced to live through. While a great deal of his actions were questionable, leading a few to question his sanity, he still protected them. He still gave them the chance at happy, peaceful lives.

"Yeah," she agreed quietly, throat tight. "Tomorrow."

* * *

When she found Shisui, it was like he'd been expecting her and what she had to say. He was in his backyard, target training, when she interrupted him. It was peaceful in his yard, she noticed. Quiet. They couldn't hear the busy streets, the talking villagers or screaming children. It felt like it was only them.

Instead of being upset or angry like she had been when she first heard Itachi's decision, Shisui smiled, telling her, "It's for the best." Then, like he could sense her emotions, he reached out, bringing her to his side gently. "It's going to be difficult, I know, but it's necessary. He wouldn't want you to be suffering like this, Sakura. Even if you are a different version of the Sakura he loved, he still loved you nonetheless."

She nodded, silent in his embrace.

Stepping away, he watched her, dark eyes expressing the pain she'd knew would be there. But it didn't upset her further like she thought it would. It helped, in a completely selfish way, to know that she wasn't the only one struggling with the decision to permanently erase him. She wasn't alone.

"When?" he asked quietly.

"Tomorrow."

"I will come and find you before," Shisui promised.

* * *

It was later that night when he came to check on her, to see how she was feeling as well as her decision. Just as quietly as she'd spoken to the Hokage, and with her emotions fiercely being held back, Sakura informed him of the time they were expected at Minato's office in the morning. He didn't argue about her decision to leave Inoichi out of it, even though he was the best at what he did.

They sat together in silence for a while afterwards, with her continuing to struggle with the thought of saying goodbye. Most of all, she was scared. Scared because she and Itachi were _just_ starting to embrace their relationship, to accept their feelings and move forward, _together_. What would it do to them? What if she forgot all the reasons why she kept fighting? What if she forgot why she fell in love with him in the first place?

Biting her lip worriedly, she risked a glance at his features before moving quickly, straddling his lap and meeting his surprised gaze determinedly, refusing to allow herself to back down.

"Sakura?"

It was obvious he was unsure what to do with himself, his hands hesitating to touch her until they settled on her hips. Even then, he seemed unsure about it, eyebrows furrowing on the sight of their bodies so close together, intimately fitting together like a puzzle.

She swallowed hard. Her hands came to his chest, holding herself in place and she frowned softly. "Just in case things… go badly tomorrow," she started slowly, frown deepening.

"Sakura-"

"Let me finish," pleaded Sakura quietly. "Please."

Breathing out a deep sigh, he nodded, eyes fixed on hers in a way that had her heart skipping beats, had her stomach knotting in a mixture of anticipation and fear. His eyes were intense, always so intense. Why had she ever thought that, at a time such as this, they would be any different?

"I want more memories with _you_, Itachi," she confessed softly. "Good memories. More than you comforting me or yelling at me. I want something I'm going to remember, something that's going to remind me why I need to keep fighting."

Noticing that she was allowing him to speak, Itachi asked quietly, "Are you sure, Sakura? You may regret it."

"I won't," came her assurance, not missing a single beat. "I've told you before, Itachi. I care about you. I _love_ you. For… so long now, I've held back. Every time you drive me crazy, every time we argue or you put up those stupid walls, I hold back from punching you across the village."

The smile that had slowly been pulling at his lips at her previous confession vanished at her words. It was almost like a deadpan, like he couldn't believe she would shatter a wonderful, intimate moment between them by saying something so violent.

Sakura smiled, hand coming up to his face and fingers tracing his lips. "When you kiss me and then pull away, like it's the easiest thing in the world to do, like you're not even affected by me at all… It drives me crazy, too. It shouldn't, but it breaks my heart, because it makes me think that you don't feel as strongly for me as I do for you." He was about to argue, eyebrows knitting together, but she silenced him quickly, placing her finger over his lips. "_Let me finish_," she stressed her repeated order, narrowing her eyes on him for good measure and then waiting a few extra seconds, just in case he tried to interrupt her again. "And then you go and contradict yourself _massively!_ You say you don't love me, or that you don't want to accept our feelings, and then you almost kill yourself trying to save me. You kiss me like I'm the only thing in the world that matters."

Slowly, like too fast a moment would break destroy the moment, he took the hand against his face, lowering it so that he could ask, "May I speak?"

She raised a daring eyebrow. "Are you going to argue with me?"

Dark eyes warmed, expression gentle. It made her stomach flip nervously. "The people I keep close to me, my precious people, are only a small number. I believed for the longest time that that number would never grow. I only believed it would decrease."

"Pessimist," she murmured.

"That may be," he agreed. "But you know how it feels to lose a precious person, Sakura. All at once, I lost three important people to me. I was wary to open up to anyone."

She remembered Sasuke's words not too long ago, telling her his brother had gone from a kind, open older brother who went to him for comfort, to a cold man who refused to appear weak, to a man he barely even recognised most days.

"Ino's death taught me that it's easy to get lost in grief," Sakura told him, never breaking eye contact even though it felt like her heart was in her throat, yet breaking all at the same time just by mentioning her name. "That it's easy to give up and lose your way. But her life taught me that it's important to keep fighting, that whenever something breaks you, you need to rise again. For your precious people. To be able to protect them and be there with them. That's what she died for. She died to protect her boys."

It stunned her that, while the pain in her chest hurt like a bitch, there were no tears. It seemed to surprise Itachi, also. Whenever they discussed her best friend, there were nearly always tears involved. She almost always broke down. Hell, she could remember a time only a few months ago when they had been in more or less the same position on her sofa, with her on his lap as she wailed about how she wanted Ino back.

"It still hurts," she confided in him, grateful when their hands joined, fingers lacing together. "It hurts with every breath I take, because she's _not_…" Oh, _there_ was the crack in her voice, the tell-tale signs of a break down. "She should be here, still fussing over her appearance, arguing with her boys and bossing them around, being my best friend and rival and pushing me to my limits, because we always had to be better than each other." She swallowed hard, but thankfully, even though they were filling her eyes, no tears fell. "It breaks my heart that her parents are struggling to cope, that they'll never get to see their only child find her happy ever after, settling down into a loving marriage, with beautiful children. She'll never have grandchildren."

Gods, she was upsetting herself again. But what difference did it really make? All Sakura was doing was voicing her thoughts. Every day, every damn day, she thought about all the things Ino was missing out on, even if it was something as simple as watching a sunset or trying a new recipe. All the things she could have achieved.

What surprised Sakura the most, however, was the fact her eyes weren't the only ones looking a little glassy. It could have been the poor lighting in her apartment, the fact that they were pretty much sitting in the dark, but she was certain that there were tears in his eyes.

"So I understand," she continued with a voice that was no longer strong or certain. It was weak, shaking with the weight of both their emotions. "I understand why you keep your guards up. You do it to stop yourself from feeling that pain again, but…" Sakura pressed her forehead to his, lips mere millimetres from his as she whispered, "They wouldn't want us to keep ourselves from finding happiness, Itachi. I don't know about your friends, but Ino would've kicked my ass if she found out I was wasting a single moment with you simply because I was afraid."

"How did our conversation lead to this?" he asked, though not unkindly. It was like he was trying to lighten the tension, to ease the weight she knew so well from his own chest. "We were talking about sex, weren't we?"

Despite the seriousness of the moment, she broke out into a half-sob, half-laugh, nodding quickly. "I just needed to get it all off my chest, because after tomorrow, I'm not going to remember any of the memories the other version of you gave to me. I'm not going to remember why you can be so cold sometimes, so unapproachable. I'll be learning all about you all over again."

"You're forgetting that our timelines are different," murmured Itachi and it was obvious he was trying to soothe her. "Whereas I lost my entire team, that man lost Tenma and his entire clan. Our worlds are different, Sakura. So much different."

She nodded, eyes dropping to his lips. "That's why… I want to give myself to you, Itachi. If all else fails, I'll have this memory. I'll know how much you mean to me. There's no telling how much they'll erase. Whether we'll lose conversations that simply hint at him. But that act… There's no way I'd ever forget it. Not when my feelings for you are so strong."

She'd wanted it for a while. To give herself to him. However, given their unsteady relationship and the emotional rollercoasters, it never felt like a good time. It never felt right.

But right there, in the comfort of her home and with their hearts on their sleeves, it felt like there was no better moment. It already felt like perfection. And if she was to lose all memories of him, if she was to lose who knows how many interactions or conversations because of the other Itachi's presence in her thoughts or whatever, then she would at least remember this.

"You won't forget," he murmured against her lips, hand coming to the back of her head, fingers threading through her hair. "And neither will I. As I said earlier: my feelings for you are too strong and if you happen to forget, then I will remind you. I will fight for you."

Sakura couldn't help but frown. She tried to focus on his eyes, but they were too close. His features were blurred. "Itachi-"

"I am not saying no," Itachi interrupted her, clearly knowing what she'd been about to say. "I simply don't want you to think this is the only way." She felt more than saw his smirk, his lips brushing hers for just a fraction of a second. "I have wanted you for a long time, Haruno Sakura, but I can wait longer for you, if that is what you truly want."

No. It wasn't. They were finally accepting their feelings after who knows how long of holding back. Sure, the fear of losing her memories of him, of forgetting why she loved him in the first place, had a part in her decision of giving herself to him. But it wasn't the main reason.

Pulling herself off him, Sakura stood, holding out her hand and smiling when he took it, fingers once more entwining as he followed her to the bedroom.


	46. Can You Feel My Heart?

**Chapter 46**

**Can You Feel My Heart?**

* * *

As they stepped through the threshold, she was slowly turned so that they were face to face, making her smile shyly as their eyes met. The look in Itachi's eyes was intense, increasing her nervousness and she swallowed, throat suddenly uncomfortably dry.

Although it no doubt seemed sudden to outsiders, to people who didn't understand their bond and all they'd been through, or how long they'd been waiting, Sakura felt like it had taken so long to reach this moment. And she was so tired of holding herself back, which was why she made the first move.

It wasn't anything like in the novels she'd read. There was no sudden need to rip one another's clothes off, or an intense urge to hurry to the bed. They silently agreed that they weren't going to rush it. Hell, she actually felt nervous. Not the kind of nervousness she felt before going into battle, but something similar to it and Sakura could tell by Itachi's increased heart rate and quickened breathing that he was nervous, too. And why wouldn't he be? It was, after all, his first time, too.

The simple fact that their kiss was uninterrupted for the first time ever had her almost giddy. They finally had the chance to explore one another's bodies, his hands skimming along her waist and clutching at her back, bringing her closer until one moved to her hip, the other cupping her cheek. She tried to reciprocate, tried to evoke the same reactions from him as he was her, but it was difficult. Despite seduction lessons, she didn't know how to… It was…

She gasped when they were forced to part for air, the kisses being placed along her neck, the slight nibble of her throat, making her shiver. It was crazy that her neck was suddenly so sensitive, even crazier to find that, after her arm raised, hand tugging on the collar of his shirt, said arm was covered in goosebumps. The hand cupping her cheek slipped into her hair, tilting her head further back to expose more throat and it had her breathing out a quiet moan.

Despite what she'd thought moments before, when their lips met a second time, there was need coming from both sides. Not urgency and they certainly didn't rush, but Sakura couldn't deny that when she was lowered to the bed, it felt right. There was no second guessing their actions, no worries about possible repercussions. In fact, she wasn't thinking much at all. It was impossible while he was kissing her in such a sinfully beautiful way, making her heart melt when he entwined their fingers, smiling faintly at the responding pressure from her.

It stayed that way for a while (not that she really noticed, because _damn_ he was one hell of a kisser) and Sakura supposed it was Itachi's roundabout way of giving her the chance to stop it, if she wanted to. It was touching, truly it was, but she was sure about wanting to give herself to him and if he continued to tease her in such a way-

She bit back a moan when Itachi moved over her, settling between her thighs, pressing their hips together with a slow roll of his. Almost like he was uncertain of himself. Smiling, Sakura shifted beneath him, legs parting wider before she copied his previous movements, meeting his hips in a slow grind and he breathed a shaky sigh against her lips, claiming them mere seconds later.

He was more sure of himself as he grabbed one of her thighs, lifting it over his hip. The new position increased her pleasure, had her growing so warm that she was certain she was going to suffocate. She broke away from the kiss, eyeing the window and wondering if it would ruin the mood if she opened it.

Like he could sense her thoughts, Itachi slowly eased the zip of her vest down, waiting a moment until he was certain it was okay before removing it. She helped by sitting up slightly, shrugging out of it and waiting until her bindings were also removed, but then she was lowered to the bed once more, a hand slipping from her waist up to her chest, cupping her breast. Combined with the kiss, it had her sighing, had her shifting and continuing their unhurried grind.

It felt… not exactly uncomfortable, having Itachi seeing her breasts, but something close to it. For as long as Sakura could remember, she'd always had issues with her body and the fact she was a late bloomer. In her eyes, she looked like child. But the attention he paid to them quieted her old insecurities. His gentle kneading, the kisses he suddenly placed on them, helped to chase away her thoughts.

Her fingers weaved through his hair a second after removing it from the hair tie, leaving it to fall around his shoulders. Itachi was unfairly beautiful – she'd always thought that. But to see him in that moment when he leaned up onto his elbows, a blush colouring his cheeks and eyes lidded with arousal, made him even more so.

Still, he was the one to say, "You're beautiful."

Had she not already been doing so, Sakura would have blushed. The intensity of his stare made it impossible not to believe him. Sitting up, she brought their lips together again, pushing her body to his and holding herself there with the aid of her hand still in his hair.

It didn't take long for their clothes to be removed piece by piece. Unlike earlier, however, there was no nervousness. There was something powerful growing in her chest, something warm and light – nothing like the coil in her stomach that had started tightening while Itachi had pleasured her with his mouth, taking her by total surprise. It'd been a little uncomfortable at first, with him clearly trying to find a rhythm, but _Gods_, when he found it…

Just as their hips aligned and she felt him about to enter her, just as she nodded her consent and attempted to bring him closer, all but squirming against the mattress now that she was all worked up and denied an orgasm (he stopped when he sensed she was close), Itachi paused, nearly making her whine.

"Why did you stop?" she asked breathlessly, frowning up at him.

Itachi's breathing was just as heavy as hers, hands trembling on her hips. Once more, he took her by complete surprise when his sharingan activated, the red glow standing out in the darkness of her room, since all they had to light the room was the moon outside. She smiled up at him, knowing without him saying the words that he wanted to make sure he never forgot their first time together. It had nothing to do with what would be happening tomorrow. Memories faded over time.

When he first entered her, there was some discomfort. It took her a few minutes to talk herself into relaxing, took Itachi the same amount of time to coax her into untensing her muscles, to coax her body into accepting his. They got there though, their breathless moans lost in her room once he was inside. His forehead pressed to hers, trying to hold back his panting while his hands came to her thighs, parting them just that little bit further, his hips drawing back experimentally, soon finding an intense rhythm that had the coil tightening again.

Restless beneath him with huge surges of emotion and pleasure, she tugged him down against her and her lips brushed against wherever she could reach. His cheek, his chin, his lips, jaw, neck, collarbone, shoulder and even the arm now resting flat beside her head. All the while Sakura clung to him, breathing out sharp cries and moans.

Gods, who would have thought it would feel so… perfect? So amazing? So unfairly wonderful? It felt as though her stomach was tight with knots, felt like she was about to fall to pieces and the only thing keeping her there was Itachi, was his hold on her, was him being inside her.

She looked down to where they were joined and couldn't even deny that she was turned on even more by the sight alone. Eyebrows knitting together as she bit her lip, Sakura tried to smother the embarrassing moan that would give away the fact that it aroused her. Unable to continue watching, her head fell back against the pillows and she held on, nails biting into his skin.

There was only a brief falter when Itachi reached down, lifting her legs a little higher until they were almost pressed to her chest and her stomach pooled with heat when he groaned deeply, when his grip tightened and his pace increased, making her entire body jerk in time with the force of his thrusts.

He was going to finish before her, she realised. Instead of commenting on it or making a fuss, she released his side, hand trailing down his stomach, but then taking Itachi by surprise as she began touching herself – albeit clumsily, but eventually, she found the place that brought her pleasure, throwing her head back.

"Sakura…" His gasp in her ear sent shivers down her spine.

The bucking of her hips was tamed somewhat by his body pressing down on hers, his arms keeping her thighs nearly pinned to the mattress. They were chest to chest, forehead bumping to hers and she felt more than heard his shaky sigh, her fingers trembling and faltering in their hurried, desperate circles when their eyes met, the intensity of his sharingan bringing her to her end.

It felt like an eternity passed as they waited for their bodies to calm, the bucking of their hips, shaking of their limbs, making it impossible to do something as simple as separate. But he held her so close, so lovingly, that it felt as though they'd always been that way, like they'd never been separated. Taking him by surprise, she giggled at her love stricken thoughts, hiding her face in his shoulder to try and smother it. It didn't work and he responded with a single chuckle, brushing the hair off her face.

"That was…"

"Intense?" she offered.

He smiled, sharingan deactivating. "Better than I could have imagined."

"Cheesy." Her eyes warmed, mirth increasing as she shifted beneath him. "Although I have to admit: we should've done it sooner."

Before he replied to her, Itachi turned them onto their sides and fixed the sheet over them, though stayed close to her, his hands continuing to hold her. Then, he asked, "Don't you think it was worth the wait?"

"No doubt about it." Like he had with hers, she ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it over his shoulder. It was growing so long now and felt as soft as ever. "I just kind of wish… we didn't get stuck for so long, if that makes any sense."

"It does."

"And now I don't want to sleep," she informed him cheerfully, smiling up at him.

"Oh?"

The sudden smirk had her rolling her eyes. "Pervert."

It amused her when his smirk widened. "Then what would you like to do?"

"Confessions?"

"Confessions?"

She breathed out a troubled sigh, smile slipping away as she felt the weight of her own offer. It was something she'd always wanted to do. Getting to know Itachi – while he was willingly sharing the information, she meant. Sure, it was probably a little late, given the fact they'd just had sex, but…

"If we're – if _I'm _to forget everything I know about you…"

The smirk dimmed, replaced with a small smile and Itachi leaned forward, nose nuzzling hers. "I have always wanted to fly."

Wait, what?

"I've always wondered if shinobi can fly," she confessed sheepishly, trying not to laugh at his admission.

"They can." Fingers traced patterns on her skin and he leaned forward, brushing his lips against her shoulder. "However, it requires a great amount of chakra to sustain it, along with an excellent control on chakra. The Tsuchikage is capable of flying, as are his students."

And Itachi's stamina had never been great. Now she understood why it had always been a dream or a wish of his and never a reality. Had he had access to the chakra and stamina, there wasn't a doubt in Sakura's mind that Itachi would've been able to fly.

"Flying," Sakura repeated. It didn't sound that bad. Maybe with her own reserves and stamina, she'd be able to do it? A silly idea of flying alongside Itachi filled her mind, almost bringing back her giggles. It made her feel almost childlike. Free, even. Was that why it was one of his wishes?

"What about you?" he asked quietly.

There was no stopping her blush. "I don't want to say."

"I'm certain it can't be as bad as wishing to fly."

Well… "I've always had a goal, you know? When I was a kid, I wanted to be a kunoichi. When I became a kunoichi, I wanted to be a medic. Then-"

"Sakura."

She sighed. "It's silly."

Silence.

"An _Uch_…"

There was more silence, followed by a soft frown as Itachi asked, "What was that? You were mumbling."

Gods, there was no getting rid of the blush. It was going to stay there for life. "An Uchiha."

It seemed to take him by surprise because, for a moment, he could only stare at her. His mouth opened, only to shut again when he found himself unable to word whatever was going through his head.

She turned onto her stomach, hiding her face into the pillows and wondering why the hell she hadn't made something up. "I won't hold it against you if you leave."

More hesitancy. Reluctantly, Sakura turned her face to the side, frowning up at Itachi as he once more opened his mouth, freezing for a split second, and then shutting it again. His fingers were still in the air, where her hair had once been. Great. She'd broken him.

"…An Uchiha," he finally said.

"I told you it was silly," she snapped and buried her face into the pillow again, trying to ignore him when Itachi's fingers ran down the length of her spine, apparently unfrozen now. Why she was snapping at him like it was his fault, she didn't even know. "I've always had bigger goals to focus on and the only goal that didn't involve my career, was…" She was so glad for hiding her face, for the blush somehow deepened and Sakura heard him hum in amusement. "It was to marry an Uchiha."

The fingers didn't falter for a second, still drawing patterns on her spine. "My brother?" She nodded weakly. "You were a child."

"But it's the only goal that wasn't career-"

Soft, soft lips brushed to her shoulder, knowingly causing her to shiver beneath him. Since when the hell was her neck, shoulder and back so sensitive? "That is because of how quickly you grew up, Sakura."

"So did you," she argued weakly, unable to stop herself from relaxing under his ministrations. "Much quicker than I did."

"Perhaps, but I grew accustomed to it."

"But…"

Against her skin, she felt him smirk, before another kiss was placed on her neck, hands gently running up and down her sides. "I don't hold it against you."

"Really?" He nodded. "And it doesn't creep you out that I had a crush on him?"

"No. It doesn't creep me out." Another kiss and faintly, she felt his teeth graze her shoulder. "You are with me now. Past relationships – or crushes – no longer matter."

Speaking of past relationships… Hesitantly, Sakura turned beneath him, unable to fight back the smile when she was kissed chastely. She definitely enjoyed the softer side of Itachi, the more affectionate side.

"And… you and Izumi…?"

The gentle kisses stopped. "Haven't we discussed this before?"

Probably. She couldn't remember. Aware that the mood was being ruined, she tugged on him, pulling Itachi on top of her. "You have to understand that it's…" It was difficult finding the right word and she suddenly regretted the new position. It was much too distracting. "You've always been close to her, haven't you?" she said, trying to hide the uncertainty from her voice. "Haven't you ever felt anything for her other than friendship?"

He sighed, dark eyes reopening and gazing at her seriously. "Would I be here with you if I had?"

Well, probably not. Izumi was in love with him – if she got even the slightest inclination of Itachi returning those feelings, she wouldn't let go. She would do everything to keep him by her side.

"I admit that Izumi is a dear friend to me, and I am protective of her, but that is as far as it goes, Sakura." His fingers resumed their earlier pattern drawing, this time on her stomach. Goosebumps broke out over her skin, her muscles jumping slightly. "You have seen my memories-"

"I've seen your other version's memories," she argued.

He hummed in agreement, but she noticed he was uncomfortable. It was in the way he wouldn't look her in the eye. "Most of them were the same."

There was one in particular he was thinking about. She knew he was. And she knew that he knew she knew. It was impossible not to, considering it'd affected her on a mission and he was the one who comforted her. It must have connected for him when he watched not only his other self's memories, but hers too. Cupping his face, she tried to make him look at her, but he wouldn't.

"What does that mission have to do with Izumi?" Gods, she almost didn't want to know.

"That mission." Itachi's eyes finally met hers. "I accepted that mission because originally, it was assigned to Izumi."

Why did that hurt her heart so much? Why did it stir up childish jealousy at the thought of him asking to be put in her place? He… hadn't done that for her. When she was asked to seduce a paedophile, in a child's body no less, Itachi hadn't offered to take her place and it _hurt_. Why did Izumi receive such selflessness from him? How were their predicaments any different? They both could have been raped. Yes, physically, she was capable of changing entire landscapes, but there was no telling how a person was going to react to a certain situation. Fear could have immobilised her. So why… Why did he go that extra mile for Izumi?

Her hand dropped from his face and fell to her stomach uselessly. "You… know how she feels."

It wasn't a question. "Yes."

Then why the hell did he pretend not to notice? Why didn't he let her down gently? Was Itachi even aware of how wretched Izumi could be? How many other women had she frightened off? Did he even care about the fact that she purposely put thoughts in his head of her and Shisui being together?

Also… "You told me you were a virgin."

"I did." Just as she opened her mouth, about to argue, he cut her off. "I have had sex as a woman, but never as a man. Not until tonight."

What difference did it make? Oh, she felt like tearing her hair out. It was all so confusing! Did it mean Itachi was technically still a virgin before they had sex?

"I'm not trying to hurt you," he murmured, suddenly noticing the impact his words had on her. "I simply want you to know that, while I don't have any romantic feelings for Izumi, she is still a precious friend to me, Sakura. You may have your differences, but I would like for you to try and-"

"Differences?" Sakura breathed out a huff of annoyance. She and Izumi were more alike than either of them ever wanted to admit, that likeness growing every time she learned something new about the Uchiha. "We don't hate each other. We…" Despite the embarrassment of admitting such a thing, Sakura didn't blush. She couldn't when it also made her heart hurt. "We're rivals."

Itachi's hand found hers. "Like with Yamanaka-san?" All she could do was nod. "It upsets you?"

Again, she nodded, but this time, Sakura managed to tell him, "A little. But I think it scares me more than anything, you know?"

"I know."

"With Ino, we… We bonded somehow through that rivalry. We got stronger together because we didn't want to lose to one another, but then she died and I forgot why I was fighting," she admitted quietly. "I forgot so much, like she just took everything with her and… I can't go through that again, Itachi."

His reply was just as quiet, "It's as though you've lost your purpose."

"Yeah."

"But you were the one who taught me it was okay to move forward," he murmured, once more nuzzling his nose to hers. "And it's okay to find a new purpose." Smiling faintly, he asked, "Why not open up to Izumi? She may understand more than you think."

Yeah, she supposed that was true. There was stuff she'd heard about the Uchiha woman that made her believe they had more in common, but Sakura had never felt the urge to find out more. They simply weren't close enough to open their hearts in the way she and Ino had. And growing closer to someone in that same way terrified her, because what if she lost it all again?

Not for the first time, the thought of the scrolls being stolen ran through her mind and despite her conversation with Minato, she still wondered how that scenario would play out. What would she say? What would happen? Would it be permanent? In the other Itachi's timeline, it wasn't. Could they make it permanent?

"What are you thinking about?" Itachi asked, fingers smoothing the frown lines.

She bit her lip anxiously. What would he think of her answer? What would he think of _her_? "Have you ever thought about the… the Edo Tensei jutsu?"

It seemed to take him by surprise. "Why are you bringing that up?"

He had every right to feel suspicious. They were discussing the deaths of their friends. There had been the breach in security earlier that day, one where they nearly lost the Nidaime's scroll of his most forbidden jutsu. Itachi probably knew that she was the one who took it back.

"Don't you ever think about it?" she asked quietly. "The possibility of bringing them back?"

"No." His answer was simple. Firm. There was no hidden meaning in his eyes, no chance of him being swayed or tempted to use Edo Tensei. "In order to use Edo Tensei, you must use living sacrifices. Moreover, the jutsu is not permanent. Those who are brought back, aren't truly alive, Sakura. They are brought back against their will, sometimes unable to control their own movements, making them nothing more than mindless zombies. You have seen my other self's memories. You know what that jutsu is capable of, especially since he experienced it himself."

Yes, she did. But-

No, there was no buts. Her discussion with Minato had knocked the thought of learning Edo Tensei out of her mind, but talking about Ino with Itachi had brought those temptations flooding back. But now that she knew for certain they had to use _living_ sacrifices… Ino would hate her. They were medics. They worked hard to save lives. They protected their loved ones with everything they had, even if it meant giving up their lives to do so. If she brought Ino back and killed someone in the process of doing it, her best friend and rival would never forgive her.

Minato was right. Edo Tensei disrespected the dead and their wishes. It was a despicable jutsu.

"Sorry for bringing it up," Sakura mumbled.

"I understand that you wish to see Yamanaka-san again. I have seen how her death still affects you." He brushed the shorter strands of her hair back, offering a small smile. "However, like my team, Sakura, she is gone. More than anything, I wish I was able to go back in time and save them. I wish I could have been strong enough to save Tenma, Shinko and Yuki-sensei."

It was the first time he'd named them. They'd had conversations about them (never lasting for longer than a few minutes at a time), but never before had Itachi named them. It made her eyes widen. Made her heart stop. This was huge for him.

"But I understand now that their deaths were unavoidable – Tenma's, at least." He sighed, resting down beside her and Sakura turned onto her side, facing him. "The other version of myself had the opportunity to change their fate. He was more than powerful enough to save their lives. But due to changing Obito-san's fate, although it spared Tenma's life for a short while and gave me more time with him, it inevitably ended in all their deaths anyway. There are ripple effects to every choice he made. He must have realised how big those ripples would be, had they lived."

She hadn't thought of that before. By changing Obito's path, how many lives had been spared? They'd avoided the Fourth Great Shinobi War. Many jinchūriki, as far as she was aware of (and minus the Yondaime Mizukage, of course), were still alive. To save not just hundreds, but thousands of lives, the other Itachi would have had to make difficult decisions. He basically played God, choosing who lived and who died.

No wonder he'd been losing his mind.

"They all played a major part in my life," he admitted quietly. "They were the first non-Uchiha to accept me. I had to earn their trust and respect, instead of having it handed to me due to being the heir of my clan." His smile was sad. Painful, even. "They were my friends."

Gods, she could feel tears filling her eyes at the pain in _his_ eyes. How would she cope if she was to lose Naruto, Sasuke or Kakashi? It would be agonising. She just barely bounced back from Ino's death and it was thanks to the patience and support of her boys. What would she do without them?

"That is why I would never dishonour their lives or memories by using Edo Tensei on any of them," continued Itachi softly. Dark eyes focused on something behind her, but she didn't look away to see what it was. "They deserve better than that. They deserve to rest in peace."

She nodded quickly, grateful when he brought her close, silently comforting her for what felt like the longest time. They didn't speak a word during that time. Simply held each other. Nothing else mattered in that moment and while they were equally stuck in their grief, their embrace kept them grounded. It reminded them that they were not alone.

"I want to open a clinic."

It was the first thing she'd said in a while, prompting Itachi to pull back a few inches to look at her features. The sun was beginning to rise, shining stubbornly through her slatted blinds since she'd forgotten to close the curtains and a single glance at the alarm clock told the pair that it was crawling up to five in the morning. They only had a few hours left before they had to go to Minato's office.

"A clinic?" he asked, voice quiet. "What about your wish to take on an apprentice?"

Her lips twitched into a half smile, green eyes drifting up to the ceiling as she turned to lay on her back. Now she could understand why Itachi had looked away – it was easier to get the words out, to voice their thoughts.

"I still want to take on an apprentice," Sakura told him. Then, adding quietly, like she was unsure of her own words, "But I want to open a mental health clinic for children, too. You know… to help them with death and the struggles life as a shinobi brings. To offer them support and guidance and anything else they might need." She smiled somewhat shyly and glanced down, fidgeting with the sheets that were barely covering their bodies. "The support we could've benefited from."

The smile he gave her was warm, genuine. It was supportive. There was pride in his eyes. And then he kissed her. Gently at first. Lovingly. Until his hand tangled in her hair, tipping her head back and the kiss deepened, his body shifting over hers.

"You are a magnificent woman, Haruno Sakura," he whispered against her lips while she fought with the sheets, distractedly attempting to remove them.

"I try my best," she tried to tease, but it was growing too heated. Their emotions were too great. Gods, she… "I love you."

Itachi kissed her again, nose nuzzling hers when they parted and when he replied, his voice was soft, "I love you."


	47. It's A Brand New Start

**Chapter 47**

**It's A Brand New Start**

* * *

It was time.

She was grateful for the support Itachi gave to her as he took her hand before they set off, bringing her close to him. There was an understandable worry growing between them, a fear that everything was going to disappear after all they'd been through to get to where they were – and this time, it wasn't only coming from her. Sakura was scared of going straight back to square one, back to where she'd only felt aggravated in his presence, back to where they'd been frustrated with one another because they couldn't understand each other.

Itachi kissed her then. Slowly, softly brushing his lips to hers, their fingers entwining and holding on tightly.

"If you forget," he repeated his earlier words quietly, other hand coming to rest on her hip. "I will remind you. Every day for as long as I need to."

She hoped he didn't have to. She hoped, more than anything, that their memories would be mostly untouched. Even though they weren't all good memories, Sakura knew she wouldn't change a single one of them, not even for better ones. All their memories, both good and bad, played a part in where they were that day.

Gods, it felt like someone was going to die.

A gentle knock on her front door had them reluctantly parting, had her leaving Itachi's embrace to see who it was. Of course, she should have already known and her already overwhelming grief doubled at the sight of Uchiha Shisui. His expression was sombre, tired (like he'd also struggled with sleep the night before), although he did smile somewhat at the sight of Itachi in her apartment.

The other Itachi had brought them together – her and Shisui, she meant. It was through their connection with him that they became friends, that they were so close. If it hadn't been for the other Itachi, it was possible they'd only be teammates. Nothing more than comrades.

"We might not even be friends after this," Sakura suddenly said to Shisui with a frown.

"I know." His hands came to her shoulders, giving a comforting squeeze. "But you will still be in Itachi's life, therefore, you will still be in mine. We will become friends again."

Gods, she hoped it didn't come down to that. She hoped that they would remain friends somehow, even if the shaky foundation of their friendship disappeared from beneath them. They'd built a solid friendship over the past year or two, Sakura liked to believe and because the other Itachi wasn't _all_ that they talked about, she knew they would still have a few memories left of their friendship. However, would it last without the foundation? Would they forget how and why they became friends in the first place?

"Sakura." Green eyes snapped up to dark, widening a fraction and it wasn't until Shisui smiled softly and wiped away her tears that she even knew they were there. "Have more faith in our friendship."

Why was she crying again? "But… you helped me through so much – his _death_. I-" Sakura cut herself off with a sharp intake of breath, trying to calm the vicious ache in her heart, eyes glaring holes into Ino's altar. "What if we're never as good friends as we are now?"

"As long as you are healthy again, as long as your mind is healthy, then that is all that matters," Shisui told her seriously, brows furrowing a little. "I have watched the deterioration of your mental health long enough, Sakura. If I must lose you as a friend so that you will be happy and well again, then so be it." Smiling, he added, "Even if we lose our friendship, it will only be temporarily. Like I said: you will still be in Itachi's life. How can I not become friends with the woman he loves so dearly?"

A few feet away, she noticed Itachi smile faintly, saw his eyes follow her previous line of sight to the altar. It reminded her of that morning when they'd been so open with one another, talking about the deaths of their friends and it had her realising that Shisui was right. For Itachi's sake if nothing else, he would try to build a friendship with her, try to get to know her all over again, if he had to. They were Itachi's precious people.

When Sakura looked back to Shisui, he was smirking lightly at her and it made her wonder how obvious her thoughts were, or if she was wearing her heart on her sleeve again.

"Let's go."

* * *

It was just her mind playing tricks on her, she knew that, but it still felt cold as she entered Minato's office, following the two Uchiha men before her. It looked darker than usual, too. With it being so early in the morning, the sun had yet to pass over the tower, to allow light to fully pool into the office through the windows. Maybe that was why it felt so cold to her.

Minato was sat behind his desk, expression grave. "Ibiki-san is on his way. Before he arrives, do any of you have anything you wish to say?"

What was the point? If it had anything to do with the other Itachi, then they wouldn't remember by the time Ibiki was done with them. It was pointless coming up with some meaningful, heartfelt speech that was only going to be forgotten. Honestly, Sakura wasn't sure if she could handle any emotional speeches. She already felt on the verge of a breakdown.

There was a single chair sitting in front of the desk, undoubtedly for the person Ibiki would be working on, since he obviously wouldn't have been capable of erasing all their memories at once. The mind was a delicate thing. He had to have his full attention focused on one person at a time, otherwise mistakes were bound to happen.

At her thoughts, there was a knock on the door. It was heavy, slow and when Ibiki entered, she almost felt as though she was looking at an executioner. He was the executioner who'd come to kill her. While that more than likely sounded dramatic… She knew she wouldn't be the same Sakura after her memories were messed with. There was so much she was going to forget, so many lives who'd shaped her into who she was. How would the other Itachi's absence from her mind effect other memories? Ino's death? Her first mission with Itachi?

"I just… have one thing to ask," Sakura spoke up when Ibiki motioned for her to sit in the chair. It seemed they would be starting with her. Glancing over to Minato, then to the Uchiha men and finally to Ibiki, she frowned. Swallowed. "Please don't mix the two of them up."

Gods, just the thought of him mistaking memories with _her_ Itachi for memories with the other Itachi had her heart skipping a beat, and Ibiki's dispassionate stare did nothing to ease her anxiety.

"Try not to worry, Sakura-chan," Minato attempted to soothe her, voice soft. "Ibiki-san is greatly skilled when it comes to the mind."

Yeah, destroying the mind and extracting necessary information. She'd seen him at work. She was perfectly aware of what he was capable of.

The second Ibiki raised his hands, about to form hand seals, Sakura caught his arm, green eyes narrowed and serious. They'd never liked each other. Had always looked down on the other for their chosen profession. However, even he had to have a heart. "Promise me."

He took a deep breath, like he found her massively annoying and needed to collect his patience, before nodding. "I will do all I can."

That was all she could really ask.

Shutting her eyes as she sensed the building chakra, Sakura willed her heart to stop hurting. She willed her stomach to stop twisting. Willed herself to still her shaking hands, clenching them into tight fists against her thighs.

_Forgive me, Itachi,_ she inwardly told him, hoping his chakra was still secretly lingering in her mind. _I wish I could hold onto all the things you taught me, both in life and death._

She was thankful when Ibiki placed his hand on her head, unknowingly shielding her features when a single tear slipped down her cheek.

_I'm so sorry._

The effects of the jutsu were instantaneous and it quickly felt like she was floating through her own memories as Ibiki skimmed through them, going straight to the beginning, back to when she first met the other Itachi. It was such a strange feeling. At first, it felt like she was falling through her own mind, surrounded by memories playing out. Completely disorientating. No, it was terrifying. Sakura could only catch glimpses of it all until she seemed to crash land into the first memory, breath leaving her harshly. Ibiki was already in the memory, surveying everything that was happening with a critical eye, features detached and uncaring as they stood to the side.

And then he started.

But…

Tears filled her eyes.

It was like Morino Ibiki took pity on her, for he allowed all the memories to play out in full, allowing her to watch them one final time before he erased them, lingering for a few extra seconds on the happier memories, allowing her to silently say her goodbyes to the other Itachi. To his selfless acts. To his kindness. His smiles. It wouldn't matter once they were gone, but Ibiki was reminding her of the pacifistic, gentle nature, reminding her that he would want her to put her health before his memory.

He didn't force her to watch them being erased. They simply watched the memories (though not the other Itachi's once he realised how depressing they were, instantly erasing them – something she had to commend, as she would have been too curious not to look at them) and as soon as they were over and they moved onto the next, it was gone. Not entirely, though she didn't realise that until her eyes were opening and she was returning to the office, feeling like only minutes had gone by. Considering the fact the office was now filled with sunlight and the others were all seated and suddenly fell silent, however, Sakura was guessing it'd been a while.

Itachi stood once Ibiki stepped away, but didn't move towards her, clearly waiting to see what had happened, whether she could remember anything. While there was no emotion in his features to tell her how he was feeling, the hesitation to approach her spoke volumes.

For a moment, she remained seated. It felt weird. Everything was… It was still there, minus something. Something that…

"Sakura?"

Green eyes fell to the ground, eyebrows knitting together. There was a face missing. A name. She knew that it'd been taken from her, knew that there was a reason why it'd been taken from her. It was why she was staying quiet about it. It was her own decision. It merely…

"That's going to take a while to get used to," she whispered, eyes meeting Ibiki's. "You didn't…?"

He nodded once, expression remaining empty. Still, for the first time ever, Sakura couldn't find herself feeling anything negative towards him. She couldn't bring herself to despise him or his profession any longer. He'd gone out of his way to… "It became apparent that, without your memories intact, you would lose your personality entirely. You would simply be a shell of yourself."

Nodding quickly, she stood, facing Itachi before smiling widely at him.

"You remember?"

"I remember." Looking over to Shisui, her smile widened to a grin. "And I remember our friendship, too."

While many things were blank, with some words blurred out, Ibiki had erased the memories in a way that would make Sakura believe they'd simply faded over time. The only reason she knew that was because Ibiki allowed her to know, telling her before leaving the jutsu that the memory of her time in the office would eventually fade away in an unsuspicious way, leaving her to believe her memories had naturally faded out.

"How do you feel?" asked Minato seriously, frowning minutely.

Honestly? "Better than I thought I would. I…" She shook her head, hand running through her hair while she tried to find the words. "I don't feel as weighed down, if that makes any sense. I know what's been taken, but at the same time, I don't." Green eyes went back to Ibiki's, still stunned. "You're amazing, Ibiki-san."

A small smirk pulled at the corners of his lips, surprising her further. "Originally, I had planned to place barriers in your mind, separating the memories I took instead of erasing them entirely, but upon realising how massively those memories impacted you – they created your personality, in fact – I realised it wouldn't be that simple."

That was what she'd feared. Everything that had happened in her past played a part in her becoming who she was. If Ibiki had taken even the smallest of memories, he would've taken a part of her personality. To take all of them would leave her empty. A shell of herself, as he'd said.

"So, what do you remember?" Shisui questioned curiously. Was he worried about the jutsu?

Frowning thoughtfully and thinking it over, thinking back, she replied, "There's a…" Sakura paused, trying to find the words. "It's blurry. I know there's somebody there, I know it's a man and I know he helped out many times, but I don't know anything about him." Her brows furrowed. "I don't even know what he looks like."

"Is it safe to try and remember?" Itachi asked Ibiki, though she could feel his eyes didn't leave her features, watching her as she thought hard on the face she couldn't remember.

"Yes," he replied confidently. "I erased the person and anything that accompanied him from her memories so that she cannot ever remember anything about him, but at the same time, he remains there. To erase him completely would undoubtedly send Haruno insane with the need to recall memories and how they truly played out." Glancing around the room, sensing the push to continue, he did so, stating bluntly, "In the first few memories of the man, he remained anonymous. He refused to disclose anything about himself, waiting for Haruno to guess at his identity. However, in her mind, she never found out. He remained anonymous even after death."

"You merely altered the memories," Shisui said thoughtfully. "Similar to Kotoamatsukami."

"I suppose, in a way." His eyes were intense. "I would have to investigate further to compare the two."

Sakura was impressed that Shisui didn't show any outward reaction to Ibiki's words, what with it being obvious the man wanted to know more about the secrets of the sharingan – or, more specifically, Shisui's mangekyō. No doubt he was intrigued about the horror stories he'd heard of it, about what it could do to a person's mind to extract information, even going as far as to bend the mind to his will. So effortlessly, too. As his teammate, Sakura knew that Shisui didn't need to think twice about his genjutsu, never had to exert himself to activate it. It was second nature to him now, like her enhanced strength.

She would've broken under Ibiki's stare by now, but the Uchiha stared back unfalteringly, not caring in the least that he was having a stare down with the number one torture expert in Konoha, forgetting the fact that said torture expert was about to play around with his mind and memories.

"How about we get started on Shisui-san's memories now?" Although it was a question, it was said as a statement. "There are still two others after him not including yourself, Ibiki-san."

Stealing a glance at the clock, Sakura found that it was already eleven, meaning they'd been there for a little over five hours. It was surprising that nobody had approached the office (she hadn't noticed anyone while Ibiki was working on her, anyway).

As they switched places, she offered Shisui a smile of encouragement, pausing to take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. It seemed to ease some of his nerves somewhat, for he returned the squeeze, returned the smile.

About an hour in, there was a quiet knock on the door – not hesitant, but not demanding either, like the person on the other side was wary of intruding, somehow knowing what was going on. It clicked in her mind that it had to be Kushina, mostly because she could pick up on the unmistakable, endless pool of chakra. If it was Naruto, he would've just kicked the door open and entered without permission, exclaiming about something ridiculous or demanding another mission.

She entered slowly, head popping through the crack in the door, impossibly long hair almost grazing the floor when she tilted her head to the side, then grinning when Minato smiled, telling her it was okay to come in. It worried Sakura, but considering that Minato had said there were two others _after_ Shisui, she knew that Kushina didn't know anything. Had she known, Minato would have demanded Ibiki performed the jutsu on her before himself.

Both Sakura and Itachi stood, bowing their heads respectfully, but she quickly told them to sit back down – they didn't need to be so formal with her.

"I thought I would bring you all some lunch," Kushina told them kindly, holding up the large bag of food. "You're going to be here all day, it seems."

Sakura averted her eyes, biting her lip to hide her smile when Minato stood and approached his wife, blue eyes warm and grateful. Like her first mission with Itachi and the squad, when they guarded the couple during the festival before the chūnin exams, she suddenly felt like a third wheel.

Accepting the bag, fingers lingering on hers as he did so, Minato smiled. "Thank you, Kushina."

"You're lucky, y'know." Oh, there was that beloved add on to her sentences, the one Naruto had both inherited and changed so that it was his own. "Naruto's been bugging me all day about coming to see you for a mission." Kushina's gaze drifted over to hers, and Sakura felt bad for being caught staring at them. "He's also unhappy about you missing out on team training, Sakura-chan."

He'd _told_ Kushina their team was reunited? She held back her sudden urge to find the blond and beat the holy hell out of him, because he was supposed to be ANBU now and telling anyone about their team, even if it was his own mother, was against the rules. If that information fell into the wrong hands, if somebody overheard him telling her about it, it would give away their positions, possibly even their fighting techniques or combo attacks, considering they'd worked together since they were twelve. Sure, their teamwork was going to need brushing up, but Sakura knew there wasn't anything major to worry about. Their combos were still there, their need to protect one another no matter what was still there. If that was used against them on an ANBU mission… They were as good as dead.

"Please could you tell him that I'll try and find him after I'm done here?" she asked the redhead.

By her side, Itachi's presence was impossible to ignore – had been since she'd sat down beside him. However, they kept up appearances. They were professional. Pretended like nothing was different between them. Even if Ibiki knew the truth, he couldn't exactly say anything or make anyone else suspicious, as he was too busy working on Shisui's memories. They only had to convince Minato and Sakura wasn't too sure how well they were doing. Keeping her distance from Itachi was impossible, though. She knew that much. After fearing the worst for who knows how long, after being so certain that she'd lost their relationship and bond, Sakura wanted nothing more than to throw herself at him, to celebrate that they could keep their memories and make so many more.

Kushina waved her hand dismissively, smiling at her. "Don't worry about that knucklehead. You're bound to be exhausted after today, so focus on yourself."

Actually, she'd never felt better. It felt like there was a humongous weight that'd been lifted from both her mind and heart. Before Ibiki had worked on her memories, it'd felt like everything was too much – hell, Sakura hadn't been able to go into confrontation without being nearly immobilised with fear and when it was over, if she was lucky enough to win, it took way too long to sort herself out emotionally and mentally. While she knew death would always affect her, she knew that it wouldn't be as immensely. It wouldn't leave her incapable of defending herself or doing something as simple as holding a conversation. She wouldn't nearly be sectioned because of it.

Honestly, she felt like she was brimming with energy. Sakura just wanted to get back out there, to continue doing what she did best: saving people and protecting Konoha.

Minato's chuckling brought her out of her thoughts, his hand coming to his wife's shoulder. "I will find him a mission, if only to keep him quiet for a few days."

Her eyes met with Itachi's for the briefest of moments, their thoughts shared with that one look: less time together to further explore the new step in their relationship. It would be put on hold for an undetermined length of time.

They looked away at the same time, glancing over to Shisui. She couldn't help but wonder if _she'd_ looked so tense while under the jutsu. Dark eyebrows were knitted together, lips downturned and fists clenched. Whether it was out of sadness or annoyance, Sakura couldn't tell. She'd never been able to read him properly.

"Make sure it's one that exhausts him," Kushina added cheerfully, seemingly forgetting about the fact her son's teammate was sat only a few feet away from her and would be exhausted, too. "That way he won't be in any hurry to go on another mission."

"Meaning he won't annoy you," said Minato with a chuckle.

Smirking, she looked around them, though the innocent expression was ruined due to the smirk. "I don't know where he gets it from. Must be from you, Minato."

"Oh?" he asked, also smirking.

Gods, they were intruding, weren't they? That was definitely flirting. Green eyes went back to Itachi, but he seemed intrigued by the interaction, like it was totally foreign to him. No doubt it was. His parents were hardly all over one another and from what she knew of them, Sakura knew they were traditional. They probably restricted all displays of affection for when they were alone.

Sensing her gaze, Itachi met her eyes, the corner of his lip lifting momentarily as he smirked. What was he thinking? She wished there was some way to find out. It made her wonder. Would she and Itachi ever openly flirt? Would they ever show their affection in front of others? Or would they keep it all to themselves? Sakura supposed it would stay a secret until they were ready to tell others.

Saying that, there was still a boxed necklace hidden in her bedside table waiting for her to wear it. It signified Itachi was ready to commit. That he _was_ ready to tell people. It was all a matter of telling their family and closest friends first, so they didn't have to hear it through gossip.

"Well, I should be going," Kushina told them all. Smiling, she added, "There are a few flasks in the bag for you all to have some tea. Minato, make sure Shisui-san and Ibiki-san have something to eat and drink, too."

"Of course," he replied, sparing them a single glance and seeing it, Sakura averted her eyes from the couple (and Itachi did so too, she noticed), once more smiling at the cuteness of it all. There was a sound of a kiss – only a short one, probably nothing more than a peck on the lips, but it made her heart warm that even after all the years they'd spent together, they still shared such tender moments. "I will see you for dinner tonight."

Once Kushina had left, Minato unpacked the bag, handing each of them a bento while leaving two more on the desk, waiting for Ibiki and Shisui. They ate in comfortable silence, their gazes occasionally shifting over to the two still lost in Shisui's mind. There was no change in either of their expressions – Shisui continued to look uncomfortable and unhappy, whereas Ibiki simply had his eyes shut. Gods, would it kill the guy to crack a smile? It wasn't all doom and gloom.

Three hours later and Sakura found herself growing bored. Inspecting her nails and pouting at the chips, she leaned back in her place on the sofa. Nothing had changed in Shisui and Ibiki's appearance. It was almost like they'd frozen the second the latter entered his mind. The stillness was unnerving and kind of creepy if she focused on them for too long.

At one point in the past three hours, Minato had to leave the office to go to the bathroom, which was perfect in her eyes. It gave her the chance to talk to Itachi more freely, though it didn't last long. When Minato returned, they had to limit what they could talk about, for she wasn't sure if she was ready for him to know about the relationship. If they told him, then there would be no more missions together.

Luckily for him, Minato remained busy. He had paperwork to go through, all of which was too important for hers and Itachi's eyes, all highly classified documents. Sighing, she glanced around the office, trying to find something to distract herself with, but just as her mouth opened, prepared to say something, Ibiki was removing his hand from Shisui's head, the Uchiha's eyes opening.

He seemed to be in deep thought, not meeting any of their eyes for a few excruciatingly long minutes. Had she been the same? Sakura could still recall how disorientating it was, could still feel herself trying to remember the face and name that was banished from her mind. It felt wrong, like they were missing something important. At the same time, however, it was so relieving. It made her feel lighter. Wasn't it the same for Shisui?

"Shisui?" Itachi called with a frown.

Finally, he looked to the younger Uchiha, attempting to smooth out his troubled frown. "It is for the best." They weren't sure if he was reminding himself, or them. "It will simply take some getting used to."

Stepping back to give him more space, Ibiki told him, "It won't feel as disorientating once you leave. Everything that has transpired since you entered the office will fade away – you will all believe you merely forgot over time."

The next eight or so hours seemed to drag. Sakura tried to entertain herself, tried to keep herself busy, but there was only so much she could do. During Itachi's turn, she rearranged the books in Minato's bookcase, placing them in alphabetical order, and he even allowed her to sort through the scrolls he was working on, setting them into piles of importance. She'd even found a scroll that fell in the urgent category that got stuck at the bottom of a pile. It was difficult not looking at him as he read through it, her curiosity piqued. Whatever it said troubled him. Minato tried to hide the expression, but the way his blue eyes lingered on certain parts of the scroll told her all she needed to know.

Even when it was Minato's turn, she and Itachi didn't have much privacy. Despite Shisui knowing of their relationship, it didn't feel right bringing it up or having a conversation that could possibly exclude him, or make him feel like a third wheel. It wasn't fair. Especially after the day they'd all had.

"What are your plans after Hokage-sama is done?" Shisui asked.

She frowned at them both. Obviously, Ibiki would also need his memories erased or altered, otherwise what was the point? He'd end up going insane just like she had. "Won't Ibiki-san need one of us for his turn?"

Itachi shook his head, gaze drifting over to the two older men. "Ibiki-san is skilled enough to be able to work on his own mind."

"Not to mention there aren't as many memories as there are with us."

As if proving that point, Ibiki was removing his hand from Minato's head, nodding once to their Hokage when the man opened his eyes. They'd only been there for three hours – nearly two hours less than the rest of them. Ibiki's memories would take even less time, as he only had that day and the day before.

"Thank you, Ibiki-san," Minato said gratefully, standing from his seat. "Please take another break before using the jutsu on yourself."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Turning to face the rest of them, the blond bowed his head, smiling faintly. "Thank you all for agreeing to this today. I know it mustn't have been easy for any of you."

They all stood from the sofa, with her between the two Uchiha men. It was odd, but she'd never noticed before how they were both so much taller than herself – they'd never been so close to her before (at the same time), almost sandwiching her between them. Had she not known them as well as she did, Sakura might have felt intimidated by it.

"Thank you for understanding," Shisui replied.

"Remember: once you leave the office, the memories of your time here will fade," Ibiki told them all. "You won't be suspicious of it and it shouldn't cause any problems."

"It'll be a whole day gone," Sakura argued and her eyes narrowed fractionally. "Recent memories. Why won't that be suspicious?"

"Because I have altered your memories."

Oh, now she was remembering why she disliked him.

Before she could snap at him, she felt an arm looping through hers on both sides, guiding her out of the office. Her eyebrow was ticking, eyes continuing to narrow, but Itachi and Shisui weren't affected in the least as they smiled in thanks to their Hokage.

Her bad mood evaporated at the calling of her name, as she sensed three others approaching – one at a pace she couldn't fully keep up with, whereas the other two walked more leisurely. She was yanked out of Itachi and Shisui's hold (though knew they would've kept hold of her, had they wanted to) with arms wrapping around her waist, all the while her world was spinning, feet completely off the ground.

"I've been waiting for you to get out of there all day, y'know," he exclaimed, cheek pressed against hers. Gently, Naruto set her feet on the ground but didn't release her, arms continuing to stay around her waist. It had Sakura more acutely aware of Itachi's presence behind her, especially as it became more… Was demanding the wrong word to use? "Mom told me to stay away because you had a special meeting about… y'know." Blue eyes widened a fraction, eyebrows raising. "You being moved up and stuff."

Oh.

Oh, that was actually a really good excuse. "Yeah, it felt like it went on forever," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. The other two were finally catching up, with Sasuke walking a couple of steps ahead of Kakashi. "I hope you guys weren't waiting too long."

"Only a few hours," Kakashi replied cheerfully, nose buried in his ever-present, beloved book. "Naruto refused to leave and kept talking about working on our teamwork, so we were compelled to stay with him."

"Naruto," she scolded.

He countered with a loud, "We missed you."

While she had certainly missed them, too, Sakura gently pulled away from the blond. Yes, they were just friends, but she knew of his feelings for her and out of respect for Itachi and their budding relationship, she knew she had to be firm with Naruto. It was wrong for her to accept his affections knowing that it meant more to him – not only because of Itachi, but because she didn't want to lead Naruto on, either. It took a lot to hold back her sigh. What a messy situation.

"Why don't we go and train?" the blond all but demanded, blue eyes shut with his grin. At least he wasn't upset about her pulling away, even though it seemed like he'd grown more confident in his gestures, more forward. "I know we're gonna get a mission soon because-"

"Because you've been bugging your parents all day," she snapped, once more reprimanding him with a shake of her fist, other fist pressed to her hip. It had him taking a couple of steps back, eyes wide with horror. "You should know better by now, idiot."

"Don't be mad with him," Kakashi said with a smirk, hand coming to his shoulder to keep him from backing up further. To do so would've caused a collision between them both. "He's just excited about the team being reunited."

She looked up at Kakashi and Sasuke, unable to stop herself from smiling. They appeared so calm, so at peace. Happy, even. "I'm excited, too," Sakura told them truthfully, but then added with a smirk to Sasuke and Naruto, "You guys had better be prepared, by the way. I'm not going to go easy on either of you."

Naruto grinned widely again and folded his arms behind his head. "Better go and train then. Brush up on our teamwork."

That was certainly one of the best ideas he'd ever come up with. Glancing behind herself, she asked Itachi, "Is it okay-"

It only dawned on her what she'd been asking when Naruto grabbed her hand, interrupting her by asking with a laugh, "Why you asking him? He's not your captain anymore."

Sasuke was smirking since his expression was hidden from the blond, raising a knowing eyebrow.

Shit. She'd dropped herself in it, hadn't she?

Before she could dig a deeper hole, however, Itachi answered for her, saying, "We have been in the office most of the day, Naruto-kun. Sakura, Shisui and I had decided to go for dinner together."

"Oh." He nodded in understanding, believing their lie easily. He had no reason not to and it made her feel so guilty. Naruto wasn't questioning them because he trusted them. "Well we could always go for something to eat together and then go and train."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Training on a full stomach?"

"Shut up," he yelled in response.

"Sasuke is right, Naruto-kun," Shisui argued calmly, unaffected by the sudden glare of betrayal directed at him. "And if you wait until your stomachs have settled, then it will be far too late for Sakura to train."

"Why-" Naruto cut himself off, instantly knowing why and then pouted at her. "So… We can't train tonight?"

A discreet pressure on the small of her back had her smiling. "No, we can." She had to talk to him anyway. Get everything out in the open. Holding up her hand and pointing at Naruto, she warned, "But no eating. You'll only throw it all back up."

"Sounds like our first training session with Kakashi-sensei."

As they walked away, he threw his arm over her shoulder, though missed the look she quickly shot over her shoulder at Itachi, silently thanking him for understanding and promising that she would speak to Naruto.

That necklace was begging to be worn, after all.

* * *

It was like she'd never left.

Grinning with happiness and pride, Sakura watched her boys. At some point during training, Kushina had turned up with food, making her wonder when the older woman changed her profession to delivering food. Not that she was complaining. Just as it had been earlier that day, it was all delicious and she made sure to remind her boys to thank Kushina properly, as they'd been in the middle of sparring when she'd brought it to them, therefore unable to talk.

Sakura couldn't believe how long it'd been since they last trained together. She'd missed it more than she'd even realised, enjoying it even more due to the fact none of them underestimated her anymore. It made her so incredibly happy that they saw her development, that they knew she was no longer a prepubescent, whiny brat or a grieving, barely able to function teenager.

"Wow, Sakura-chan," Naruto said for what felt like the hundredth time, but she certainly wasn't about to complain.

They were seeing what she was capable of. They were understanding just how far she'd come. And they all looked so proud her – even Sasuke, whose shock had been almost as obvious as Naruto's, although made her giddier, for he wasn't one who openly showed such reactions.

"I have to admit, when Minato-sensei told me of how strong you've become, I wasn't expecting it to be by this much," added Kakashi, already finished with his dinner. They were still eating theirs, though hers was almost finished, too. "You should be proud of yourself, Sakura."

She was. She truly, _truly_ was. Glancing down at her rest of her food, she smiled, face hidden by the hair now acting as a curtain. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Having been given the chance to get changed and grab her weapons pouch before training, she reached into the pouch, tossing her latest addition to her sensei, who caught it without even looking at it. "Before we go, can you give me a quick lesson with this thing? I haven't tried using it yet, what with just getting out the hospital and all, but I figured you'd have used one at some point."

Nodding and standing up, Kakashi assessed the bullwhip for a moment, one hand on the handle and his other running along the tail. She watched closely, finishing the last of her meal and sitting up straight with narrowing eyes as he focused his chakra through the weapon, watched as it began to glow blue. It definitely looked intimidating.

"Try and see it as an extension of your body," he told her, pulling his arm back experimentally. The length of it had her biting her lip unsurely. Could she even manage something like that? "Think of it like a katana – Shisui-san trained you in that area, correct?" Sakura nodded. "Then you'll already know how to think of something as an extension of your body. It should be second nature if he taught you properly." Again, she nodded. It took them forever to perfect it. Shisui had spent so long drilling it into her head, forcing her to repeat the same moves thousands of times. Like Kakashi had said: it was second nature now. "Picture how you want to use it." Looking to their other teammates who were still eating, Kakashi ordered, "Naruto, make a clone."

The blond didn't even hesitate, didn't think twice about it as he made a single hand sign, a clone of himself popping into existence. With a wave of the original's hand, it approached warily, understanding that it was being used as target practice.

"Do you want to try, Sakura?" he asked, glancing at her. "Or would you like a demonstration first?"

Never one to back down or bow under pressure, she stood, dusting herself off. It took all of three strides to approach her sensei and she accepted the whip once his chakra left it. For a few seconds, she focused on her own chakra, imagined that the whip was a part of her and soon enough, it began to glow blue. It was the first time she'd transferred her chakra into a weapon and she felt so proud of herself for getting it right first time, but she didn't look up at Kakashi for reassurance or praise. It would only distract her.

Instead, she settled her gaze on the clone of Naruto, who gulped and paled at the seriousness in her expression.

On the other side of the training field, she heard the original Naruto chuckling sheepishly, saying shakily, "Don't feel bad if you hesitate, Sakura-chan. I'm-"

The lashing out of the whip and the intimidating _crack _it created silenced him, had him cutting himself off and she heard Naruto suck in a sharp breath, but didn't focus on him long as she pictured how she wanted her whip to move, using her chakra to aid in the tail wrapping itself around the clone's neck.

"Good," Kakashi murmured, wisely taking a step back to give her more room. "You have your enemy, but you're hesitating."

She didn't hold herself back from scowling, though didn't look away from the struggling clone. Its face was turning red, the colour seeming darker due to the steady glow of her chakra lighting up the darkening training field. "You didn't say you wanted me to finish him off."

"You're ANBU now, Sakura. Chances are, you'll always have to finish off an opponent unless ordered otherwise."

Shit. That was true. Gritting her teeth, she used her other hand to grab the tail, yanking it towards her with what was probably more strength than necessary (even if it was only clone of him, it was still Naruto, therefore, still powerful and a tricky opponent – she couldn't risk him getting out of it). She quickly released the tail, left fist clenching tightly and as soon as he was within arm's reach, she swung it forward, the clone instantly vanishing with the connection.

Naruto grimaced, hand coming to his chest and rubbing it as the clone's experience flooded his mind. "You didn't need to be so rough."

"I'm glad she was," Kakashi argued, smiling. "It tells me Sakura is serious about training and it shows me what I'm working with." Looking down at her, he watched her winding the tail up. "At least that's the issue of long range fighters out of the way," he said. "Should you find yourself unable to close the distance to get close enough, you can use the whip."

She nodded, though couldn't help but smirk, finally meeting his gaze. "I already have a solution for that."

"Oh?"

Two clones suddenly reached out from underground, grabbing Naruto's and Sasuke's legs and yanking them down until all that could be seen were their heads.

"Sneaky," Kakashi commented and there was no mistaking the pride in his voice, even as the two men yelled at her to let them out. They both ignored them. "I didn't even sense them, either. Wouldn't have thought to, considering we've finished sparring." Returning her smirk, he glanced down, eye creasing. "I can see why Minato-sensei thinks of you so highly."

She blushed.

* * *

Pausing at her front door, Sakura smiled before entering the apartment, tossing her weapons pouch on the nearby table and kicking off her sandals. Gods, she hadn't felt so light, so free, in years. That feeling only increased as she saw the fresh flower sitting at Ino's altar, though instead of an iris, it was a daffodil and the meaning had her smile widening. New beginnings and rebirth. It certainly felt that way.

"Thank you," Sakura said, walking into the small kitchen where a hot cup of tea was waiting for her.

Soft lips pressed to her forehead, a hand settling on her hip. "How was training?"

Her smile returned. When was the last time she'd smiled so much? It would've upset her that she didn't know, but she was too happy at that moment in time to care. "So much better than I thought it would be. We're still…" She shook her head, releasing a breathy chuckle. "It's like we never stopped being Team Seven."

"You seem a lot happier," Itachi commented, also smiling.

"I am." Biting her lip, Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist, still unused to the idea of being able to touch him whenever she wanted (in private, of course), though definitely not ready to stop any time soon. "Team Seven is together again, I still have my friendship with Shisui and I still have you in my life."

Itachi's eyes warmed. "I collected your belongings from the hospital to save you from running into Tsunade-sama."

Now it was officially a perfect evening. "Are you staying the night?" It was forward of her, sure, but she didn't care. They had much to celebrate.

"If you want me to." His hand trailed to her spine, running up and down it. "Did you speak with Naruto-kun?"

The smile dimmed and she blushed, sighing, "No. It didn't feel right, you know? It was our first training session and we were all so happy. I didn't want to risk upsetting him, not when it's been so long since we last spent more than an hour together."

"I understand," Itachi murmured, making her gasp in surprise as he leaned down, lips pressing to her neck. Apparently, it was still sensitive, if that was even possible. "Although, I must insist you tell him soon." She felt him smirk against her neck between kisses and in response, her knees felt weak. "I would like to take you on a date."

"I want that too," she whispered. Hand finding its way into his hair, she sighed out in pleasure, back arching. How was it possible for him to work her up so quickly after simply kissing her neck? "I'm going to meet him tomorrow and speak to him."

Nodding, Itachi's lips left her neck to meet hers, the kiss leaving her breathless and leaning against the counter. Within seconds, she was lifted onto it, her legs wrapping around his waist securely. "Good."

Yes, she certainly was the happiest she'd been in a while.


	48. Strength of a Thousand Men

**Chapter 48**

**Strength of a Thousand Men**

* * *

It was shocking how long she slept for, the sun shining through her window and beating down on her bare skin. She smiled to herself and stretched, relishing in the pops and cracks that accompanied her stretching. Gods, that was a good sleep. When was the last time she slept so soundly? It had Sakura pausing in thought, green eyes opening languidly and focusing on the room around her. She didn't know how long it'd been since she'd slept through the entire night, let alone a sleep without nightmares.

"You're finally awake."

The voice was teasing, warm. It had Sakura's previous smile returning and she pulled her pillow closer, hugging it to her chest as she continued to lay on her front. The sheets had ended up low on her hips, but she couldn't find it in herself to care, not when her lover's gaze ran over her nakedness in a way that made her skin tingle, made her bite her lip.

When she held out a hand, he approached her, sitting beside her on the bed until his elbow pressed down into the other pillow, head coming to rest in his hand. The other reached out for her, trailing along her spine and causing a delicious shiver to take over.

A single glance at the clock told Sakura it was well past ten in the morning and she pouted up at him. "You should've woken me." It didn't surprise her that her voice was raspy. Apparently, she'd slept for almost twelve hours which was highly unlike her since, as of late, she'd barely been getting five hours a night (and that was only if she was lucky). "Training's in an hour."

"You must have needed the sleep," he retorted gently, fingers never ceasing in the soothing pattern he was drawing.

There was no use in arguing when he was right. Humming, she turned, unconcerned with the fact she was completely naked while he was fully dressed in yesterday's clothes. It had her smirking. "What will your clan think?" asked Sakura teasingly. "Their patriarch, a bachelor no less, turning up in the middle of the day wearing yesterday's clothes."

"Bachelor?" Itachi repeated, half teasing. She knew it was because he couldn't understand what she meant – no, he _could_ understand, but at the same time, he didn't. "I am hardly a bachelor when I am willing to commit to you."

There it was. Smirk widening into a smile, she pulled him to her. It felt so peaceful being by his side, so… right. Like it was as easy as breathing. While Sakura knew it hadn't always been that way, that they'd been through numerous heartbreaks and struggles since their very first kiss, it didn't make her words any less true. At that moment, it was tender. Intimate. She almost wished they didn't have to tell others for fear of those outsiders ruining what was between them. She wanted to keep it between the two of them for as long as possible.

In a sense, she supposed Itachi was right. While he would still be considered as a bachelor, he wasn't. Not entirely. "You said you picked all my belongings up from the hospital, right?" He nodded once, the fingers that'd been tracing her spine coming to her waist. "Good. I think I'm going to take my necklace to training with me."

"Oh?"

Nodding, she ran her fingers over his hip, hand slipping beneath his shirt. "That way, he'll know that it's serious. That we're serious about our relationship."

A small smile pulled at his lips, dark eyes focusing on the little space between them. "I suppose, should he need more persuading, I could always-"

Sakura laughed, cutting him off with a light-hearted, "Keep your mangekyō away from my teammate, Itachi."

"I'm afraid I can't promise that."

It was said so seriously, like Itachi was willing to do anything to make sure nothing came between their relationship and it had her quickly glancing up at his expression, only to release an irritated half-laugh at his smirk, punching his arm lightly.

The growling of her stomach interrupted her just as she opened her mouth, leading her to grin up at her lover until he sighed, hair hiding his own smile as he got out of bed.

"Get dressed and I will make you breakfast before you leave to train."

* * *

It was almost surreal how easy it all felt to her. Whatever had been holding her down had been doing a damn good job. Something as simple as sleeping was possible for her now, making Sakura wonder briefly what the hell had been plaguing her mind that affected her so greatly. It must have been immobilising to her.

Ducking beneath a fist then kicking out, she eyed the clones surrounding her warily. Even if they were only clones, they were Naruto's clones, meaning she knew not to underestimate them.

It was just her and Naruto who were training that morning – she'd wanted to be alone with him so that the news of her and Itachi's relationship wouldn't feel like an ambush. She wanted to tell him alone so that she could comfort him if he needed comforting, knowing that he wouldn't want the others – Sasuke in particular – to see him upset.

Trying to hide wasn't optional against the blond, not when he knew her scent. It'd buy her a few seconds at most. Saying that, though, he _was_ easily fooled and it'd been proven yesterday. Reaching into her pouch, Sakura threw a smoke bomb to the ground, using the cover to slip beneath the earth, leaving a clone in her place. It quickly shot out from the smoke, attempting to run and hide, but was quickly forced to go on the defensive as Naruto instantly caught sight of it. Like she'd suspected: he believed it was the real her.

What jutsu could she use? While her clone continued to dispatch of his, Sakura went through the list of her jutsu. There was always the double suicide decapitation jutsu, but Naruto would probably be suspecting that from her after yesterday's training session. While easily fooled, the guy wasn't dumb. He knew what to look out for. All her other jutsu were far too–

Sasuke's scroll.

_Perfect_, she thought cheerfully. Lightning, while not her affinity, was strong against earth due to being able to travel through it with little to no trouble, breaking the ground apart. That would be useful to her. On the other hand, however, Naruto's affinity was the wind element, which was what the lightning element was weak against. He could easily counter it if he knew how to. Did he know how to?

She shut her eyes, thinking back on the least fatal jutsu that'd been in Sasuke's scroll. She wanted to win the sparring match, not kill her teammate, so she immediately ruled out the bigger jutsu, along with the trickier ones. The smaller ones weren't too bad, Sakura supposed, although they still required a lot of concentration considering the fact she'd only glanced at them while in the hospital.

The sudden dispatching of her clone had her eyes snapping open. Shit. There wasn't time to try and summon chakra or figure out what lightning jutsu to use.

"_C'mon, Sakura-chan. Get out here."_

Did he know where she was? Focusing on his immense chakra, Sakura found that he was standing directly above her, right where her clone had backed him into. If he knew where she was, then he would have wisely kept his distance. She couldn't sense any of his clones and as the memories of her own clone flooded her mind, she found that it was because she'd defeated them all.

There was only one thing she could do then, wasn't there?

"_Sakura-chan, c-"_

Bursting through the ground with her Ōkashō, Sakura prepared herself to deal the final blow, for even Naruto couldn't withstand a direct hit from her full strength. However, he surprised her by simply stepping out of the way and catching her arm, grinning at her widely with a snicker.

"Who's the one doing the underestimating now?" he teased, though was forced to release her when she swung with her left fist, leaping backwards to avoid being hit.

Sakura breathed out a deep sigh. He had a point. "So, you can sense chakra now?"

Naruto shrugged, already falling into his fighting stance. Good. He knew not to underestimate her, either. In his slight crouch, every part of his body was guarded. It'd be difficult landing a blow on him like that, she noted.

Long range attack it was.

"I can't do it properly yet, but your chakra is really easy to pick up."

Probably her reserves he was sensing. Similar to how others sensed the Kyuubi's chakra before Naruto's. Her reserves dwarfed her normal chakra.

It surprised her how much she enjoyed sparring with Naruto. As always, he was unpredictable, suddenly flying at her and summoning clones out of nowhere, using them like a ladder to get closer to her and build up more momentum.

Again, Sakura was forced to go on the defensive, unable to find an opening to use a bigger jutsu. It had her grinning almost as widely as Naruto and she used her flexibility to its fullest to dodge a stronger kick aimed at her head. Hands planted to the ground, she took him by surprise by catching his neck with her legs, putting all her strength into flinging him away from her and using his shock to her advantage, she flipped herself upright, hands shooting through hand signs that had his blue eyes going wide.

"_Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"_

He couldn't stop his momentum even as Naruto stabbed a kunai into the ground, attempting to stop himself. When that failed, he summoned more clones, but by the time they grabbed him, catching onto his thoughts, the water dragon was slamming into him, completely submerging him. Sakura relied entirely on sensing his chakra to keep track of where he was, darting to the left when he came shooting out of the water with a yell.

She made a note to herself to mention that to him. He couldn't be in ANBU and giving away his position like that.

Catching the leg kicking out of her, she clenched her fist though left two fingers extended, which soon began to glow blue, making his eyes go wide. However, she quickly ended the spar with movements too fast for Naruto to keep up with, jabbing his pressure points. Instead of allowing him to fall to the ground, Sakura smirked softly, lowering him.

"It won't last long," she told him.

Swallowing, Naruto fought hard to wake his slumbering limbs, but failed miserably. "Where did you learn something like that?"

She shrugged, sitting beside him on the grass, uncaring that it was wet from the water dragon. "Mixture of offensive medical ninjutsu and Neji." Leaning back on her hands, she added in simpler words so that he would understand, "I already knew how to do it, but he helped me make it better and more precise. The first few times I tried it, pressure got the best of me."

He nodded and thankfully decided to wait it out – it was all he could do. With her chakra, she'd basically shut down his limbs. It would cause slight discomfort, but nothing shinobi couldn't handle. They'd 'wake up' again in a bit with intense pins and needles. If she'd gone any higher (like the back of his neck), then he would've been unconscious for an unknown amount of time. There was no point in doing that when they were only sparring, however.

"You seem brighter than before," Naruto said suddenly. At her questioning expression, he grinned again, eyes closing. "In a good way. You look happier."

"Didn't I look happy yesterday?"

"Well, yeah."

He was momentarily distracted when he managed to make his left leg shift, shortly followed by the right. She'd only targeted the legs, knowing that it would be overkill targeting the other parts of his body. As soon as he couldn't move his legs, they both knew the spar was over due to it leaving him at a huge disadvantage. Without the use of his legs, he couldn't dodge and there wasn't a chance he could withstand a direct hit, and he couldn't try to counter it with a punch of his own, either. It'd shatter his arm beyond repair.

She won.

And it made her so happy.

Sure, Naruto could've used his more lethal jutsu. He could've used the Kyuubi's chakra. Going up against her strength, she wouldn't have held it against him if he had. While it more than likely seemed like he was underestimating her, Sakura knew he wasn't. Using the Kyuubi's chakra, like her targeting the pressure points in his entire body instead of just his legs, was overkill. Using moves like Rasengan after only a handful of minutes into a spar, to him, was overkill. He preferred to draw it out, to use as many moves as possible. Due to that way of thinking, she'd won.

"You ended it so quickly," Naruto mumbled, mirroring her thoughts. There was a noticeable pout to his voice, making her roll her eyes.

"You're ANBU now, Naruto," came her simple reply. "You can't be drawing out fights. You need to end them quickly and as cleanly as possible."

"Cleanly?" he repeated with a disbelieving laugh. "With your strength?"

He had a point there. Chuckling, she shook her head, eyes watching curiously as he coaxed his legs into moving again. It seemed the Kyuubi didn't only heal wounds quickly. Interesting. It made her wonder how his system would react to poisons. Would the Kyuubi break the poisons down and save his life?

"You know I can use other jutsu now."

"Yeah, I know," he said without missing a beat, probably worried she'd be offended. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah." She smiled and nudged his side.

Naruto grinned brightly.

Just as he was about to stand, however, Sakura grabbed his sleeve, keeping him seated. He called her name, asking what was wrong. He was hungry, he said. They could go to Ichiraku's – his treat this time. When he saw how serious she was, he silenced himself, crossing his legs and watching her worriedly, hands coming to his knees. She sighed.

How the hell was she supposed to tell him she was in a relationship with Itachi when he stared at her like that? With bright blue eyes, expression one of concern and… Damn it, was Naruto even aware that he looked at her like that? Like she was everything to him? Like it was crushing him not to see her smile? Like he couldn't stand the thought of her being upset or hurt?

"Sakura-chan?"

Gods, she knew what unrequited love was like. She knew how much it hurt to be rejected. But not only was Naruto being rejected, she was going to tell him of her relationship with Itachi. That she was in love with him.

"I…"

He breathed out a shaky chuckle, hand finding hers. "Oi, what're you getting upset for? My skills aren't that bad, are they?"

She laughed despite the ache in her chest. "No, no. It's great other than a few things that need…" Shaking her head, because they weren't discussing his lack of stealth, Sakura sighed again, thankful for the comforting hold of his hand as it squeezed hers. "I need to tell you something and I know it's going to hurt."

"You, or me?"

Both, if she was being completely honest. After so much time away from Team Seven, Sakura had forgotten how easy it was to feel her boys' pain. What would be worse than his usual explosion of anger or upset was if Naruto went quiet. He yelled at Sasuke, or threw punches, if the Uchiha pissed him off. Threatened clients with violence if they rubbed him the wrong way. When he fell silent, however, it meant it really hurt him. It hurt so much that he was at a loss for words.

Gods, she hoped he yelled at her.

"C'mon, Sakura-chan," he mumbled, clearly unnerved by her silence despite trying to keep up his grin. "What's wrong?"

"I'm in a relationship."

It honestly pained her when his face fell. "…Oh."

"I wanted to tell you before we went public about it," Sakura told him quietly. Damn it, he'd gone silent and it felt like a twisting knife in the stomach. "I know that you…" She frowned. "Hurting you is the last thing I want."

He tried to smile, but it was nothing more than a twitch of his lips, his blue eyes failing to light up with their usual cheeriness. "Who…?"

She swallowed before answering, almost whispering, "Itachi."

"Itachi?" he demanded, making her heart skip a beat at his sudden loudness. "How the hell did _that_ happen?"

"When I was on his squad, he took care of me," she said. Her fingers ran through the grass, tugging on it gently but not tearing it from the ground. It was still wet from her jutsu – not that she'd expected any different. It was only to be expected. "And I honestly don't think I would've lasted as long as I did without him there by my side, even if we didn't always see eye-to-eye."

"Don't say that," Naruto argued quietly, but no matter how hard he tried to keep the cheerfulness in his voice, it didn't work. He'd pulled her on the effects ANBU had on her, told her so many times how difficult it was to understand her. How could he sit there and say that? "I'm sure you would've been fine."

No, she wouldn't have been. Without his support, she would've fallen apart. He taught her so much during their time on the same squad – life lessons as well as jutsu. Itachi was… like her own personal saviour.

When the silence dragged out for too long, he frowned, asking, "Are you happy?"

"I love him," Sakura told him softly without pause, hoping more than anything that he would understand. "And he loves me, too."

Naruto scowled at her. "That doesn't answer my question."

No, she supposed it didn't. It was possible to love someone but not be happy with them. Sighing, she said, "Yes. Itachi makes me really happy, Naruto." Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out the gift box, opening it and showing him the necklace. "We want to make it official, to tell everyone, but… I wanted to tell you first."

"Then I'm happy that you're happy."

There was a wide grin on his face, hand coming to scratch the back of his head, but before those blue eyes shut with supposed happiness, Sakura had seen that the smile didn't reach his eyes. He was trying to be happy for her even though he was hurting. Unable to stop herself, she pocketed the necklace and shifted closer, arms wrapping around one of his, uncaring of how he quickly looked down at her in shock.

"I'm really sorry, Naruto."

It seemed his pretence dropped completely because Naruto sighed and she felt his head tip back, noticed him looking up at the sky to try and find something else to focus on. Hurting him was the last thing she'd ever wanted to do.

"I think I always knew it'd never happen," he murmured and Sakura kept her eyes on his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. Again, he tried to smile, but she could hear the sadness in his voice. "Our friendship is too important to mess it up, anyway. Sasuke tried telling me yesterday that…"

She frowned, finally sitting back to look at him. "What did he say?"

"Just stuff about friendship and how our bond is too important to ruin it with things like that." Naruto smirked slightly, blue eyes meeting green. "I think he was trying to let me know without hurting my feelings, which is surprising for him."

"Actually, I don't think it's surprising at all." She blushed, smiling. "Sasuke-kun helped me come to the decision of confessing to Itachi. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have."

The blond laughed loudly, falling back against the grass, eyes closing with mirth. "Romantic bastard."

Her smile slipped and she leaned on her hand, body turning sideways so that she was facing him. "You're going to find someone, you know," Sakura told him truthfully, lightly punching his shoulder when he rolled his eyes at her. "Oi, I mean it. I think we're both too much like your mom for a relationship to work between us, don't you think?"

Again, he laughed at that. It was a genuine laugh, but most of all, it showed in his eyes as he glanced at her. "Guess so. We'd end up killing each other – probably you more than me."

"I'd rather have you as my friend and be happy having you by my side," she said and joined him in laying on the grass, watching the clouds way up in the sky. If she focused on the one to her far left, it almost looked like a silhouette of a person wearing a hat and high collared cloak and Sakura found herself unable to look away, entranced by the strange figure. "Besides, I know she's out there for you, waiting for you to notice her. You just have to stop being so dense."

"What?" he asked with a sheepish chuckle. "What're you talking about?"

"Nothing." She smiled as the figure began to change shape, the clouds moving. Before long, it was gone.

* * *

"You're wearing the necklace."

Smiling, Sakura touched the pendant resting just below her collarbone. She wouldn't even deny that the zip of her shirt was a little lower than usual to make sure the necklace was on show.

"I take it everything went well with Naruto-kun?"

When her smile faded, a hand reached out for hers, unknowingly making her heart skip a beat with happiness and excitement because they were in a public area and already, many shot them curious stares, others doing double takes to make sure that what they were seeing was really happening.

"He was hurting, but he tried to hide it," Sakura told him. Grimacing, she glanced down at their joined hands. "He accepts the relationship and he said he's happy for us. It just hurts knowing he was in pain, you know?"

Itachi nodded, bringing her closer to his side as they began their walk through the market area, heading for a quiet restaurant just at the edge of the village. It gave them more privacy from the nosy villagers (more specifically, those who would be willing to kill to get the next piece of juicy gossip first).

Trying to smile, she looked up at him, her shoulder bumping into his arm as they walked. "How did your day go, then? Anything interesting happen?"

"One of the elders fell asleep during the meeting," Itachi informed her tonelessly, but she could see the slight smirk on his lips. "He stopped breathing for a few moments, but one of the other elders yelling at him woke him. Wondering if he would resume breathing was the epitome of excitement for my day."

"Unlucky for you," she teased.

His smirk widened for a brief second. "Indeed."

It seemed she wasn't the only one who was feeling lighter and it increased her happiness, it had her biting back a grin. The hold she had on his hand increased in strength, making Itachi glance down at her, but seeing her grin, he smiled wider than before.

When they arrived, she was pleasantly surprised to find that the restaurant was beautiful, complete with a pond and brightly coloured fish that never failed to capture her attention. The weather was warm enough that it allowed them to sit outside and eat, something she was grateful for. Although she showered after her spar, not wanting to reek of sweat and dirt before her first date with Itachi, she still felt overly warm. Simply signs of summer approaching, she supposed. The heat was rising rapidly, forcing the last remains of winter to recede completely.

Itachi's words came back to her and as they waited for their meal, she assessed his features, unable to stop a swell of sadness from blooming in her chest. It had to be unbearable to go from the powerful shinobi who rarely took a break, who was always away fighting hard for Konoha, to a man who rarely left his desk. Yes, he was still powerful – more so, in fact and only a fool would believe differently – but that power was going to waste. His fierce battle days were over due to never being able to leave the village. The most exciting thing that happened to him now was an elder possibly passing away due to old age during a meeting.

Sakura couldn't imagine suddenly taking a life behind a desk after all she'd done and achieved. The hospital, perhaps. They were always on the go. She was constantly stretching herself thin and being useful. But a clan leader simply… It didn't appeal to her. She could see the stress on Itachi's features even as he relaxed with her – he'd warned her of such a thing, too. He didn't even sleep for eight full hours a night because of his clan needing his assistance. And now she was imagining herself marrying into that clan. No, Sakura wasn't changing her mind about Itachi and her feelings were still strong and unyielding. However, marrying into the Uchiha Clan was a downside of being with him. There would never be one hundred percent acceptance for her, for she was an outsider and would, in the clan's eyes, taint the bloodline. Marrying Itachi would-

It would be the happiest day of her life. There was no doubt about it. She merely had to accept his clan as part of him, just as his clan would have to accept her.

"What are you thinking about?"

His words brought her out of her head and Sakura smiled, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You don't want to know."

He smirked. "Oh?"

"Well…" Pausing for a moment, her smile widened to a grin. To hell with it. "I was imagining what it'd be like to be married to you."

Fortunately for her, Itachi didn't seem overly concerned with her words. If anything, he looked amused. "And?" he pushed. "Did you like what you pictured?"

"There's a few kinks that'll need ironing out," she admitted and tipped her chin up slightly, putting on an air of haughtiness that had him chuckling. Deciding to be serious, she leaned forward on the table, reaching out for his hands and smiling slightly when he accepted them without hesitating. "In all honesty, I can't wait to become yours officially. I'm just worried."

He frowned at that, his dark eyes watching hers intently. "Worried about what?"

"Your clan – the elders, more specifically." Swallowing, she rested her elbows on the table, thumbs tracing small patterns on his hands. "They don't like outsiders, Itachi and you're their patriarch. Your future heirs need to be strong and untain-"

"Do not." It stunned her to see a flicker of anger in his eyes before he shut them, eyebrows knitting together above them. "Do not finish that sentence."

"But that's how they'll see it," argued Sakura calmly, tightening her hold on his hands when he reopened his eyes to glare at her. "The Uchiha blood will be tainted."

"What do you propose?" he questioned, voice soft. "That I take a mistress? An Uchiha that could give me pure blooded heirs?" Humming, Itachi looked down to their hands, his hold equal in strength. "That will give me bastard children, which, in their eyes, is even worse."

"Of course I'm not saying that." Green eyes narrowed warningly, hardening. "I don't like sharing."

He smirked at that. "Good. Neither do I, so I suggest we leave this conversation until we have further explored our relationship and are ready to settle down. I refuse to share my first experiences with those old fools." Stunning her, Itachi leaned forward, lips brushing to her forehead. "When the day comes, should they oppose our relationship, I will deal with them myself. But until then, we shall enjoy ourselves and explore our feelings together."

Food arrived at the end of his sentence, much to her gratefulness and Sakura didn't hesitate to dig in. As expected of such a wonderful place, the food was amazing. It was peaceful while they ate, the sounds of the village filling their otherwise comfortable silence and it helped relax her further. _They_ did that. They were the ones who fought hard for the peace the villagers were living in. They were the ones who protected them. Now, they were able to sit and listen to the sounds of life, of happiness. Their people lived without fear because they knew they were safe.

That was, of course, until they heard the sound of yelling close by – from inside, if she wasn't mistaken. Frowning, Sakura looked over her shoulder at the entrance of the restaurant, sending chakra to her ears to boost her hearing.

"_Lee,"_ she heard a familiar feminine voice snapping.

"_Wha're you lookin' at, huh?"_

Shit. Slapping a hand to her forehead, she groaned in annoyance. It didn't take a genius to know what had happened and she was so disappointed in Lee for getting drunk – not that it really took much. One sip and he was tipsy. Lightweight.

Itachi seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he followed her line of sight just as the doors swung open, banging on the walls. There was a loud crash inside, followed by cries of fear and worry, before a large group was rushing out of the restaurant, parents clutching their children to their chests as they tried hard to get out of the way. Only seconds later and Rock Lee was stumbling out of the restaurant after them, wavering on his feet and just about dodging Gai's attempts to subdue him. He wasn't only drunk, he was completely wasted, unable to keep his eyes open for long. Somehow, he still avoided his teammates' attempts to capture him. All three of them.

_Shit._

Somebody had to stop him.

"Lee-san," Sakura growled warningly, standing from her seat and sending Itachi a warning glare when he made a move to stop her.

It was their first date, damn it!

"Forgive us-"

Uncaring for Gai's apology, she threw her fist forward, using the shockwave from her enhanced strength to take Lee by surprise, giving Neji the chance to subdue him. Fortunately, he took the brunt of the force and there was little damage to the restaurant in the process, her shockwave narrowly avoiding the building. The same couldn't be said for the ground and beautiful ornament that had been in the pond, but it was a small price to pay.

Returning Neji's proud smirk, Sakura nodded once, her job done.

"Well handled," Itachi complimented, eyes fixed on hers even while she watched Neji and Tenten share Lee's dead weight, carrying him away between them. Gai stayed behind like he'd had to several times in the past, apologising profusely to the owners who were freaking out about the damage. "You knew he would expect a physical attack."

"Even while drunk, Lee-san is a remarkable shinobi. If anything, being drunk makes him even stronger," she retorted, finally sitting down and facing him, continuing with her meal. "Probably one of the best taijutsu users – if not _the _best – I know." Smirking, she added, "However, he hasn't seen any of my new moves and I know that it'd be best to take Lee-san out before he attacks – he's too unpredictable otherwise."

He seemed impressed, returning her smirk proudly. "Had this been a couple of years ago, you never would have thought to do that. You would have worried too much for his safety and wellbeing."

It surprised her to find it was true. "It's not like I killed him," she said with a breathy laugh, running her hand through her hair to hold it back when the wind picked up a little, the breeze soothing her suddenly heated skin. "And Lee-san is a dangerous opponent while he's thinking clearly – imagine what he'd be like drunk."

"I am not criticising you," Itachi murmured. "I am praising you. Your growth in strength, both physical and mental, has been extraordinary." He smiled. "You don't hesitate anymore."

Was that a good thing or a bad thing? In terms of protecting their home, their village, it was a good thing. That was… Was it all that mattered?

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when she was summoned to the Hokage's Tower, her team already fully dressed and waiting for her arrival. There was a space beside Kakashi for her, in between and just in front of Naruto and Sasuke, signifying that she was their captain in training, their superior.

As they were meeting with the Hokage, they were unmasked in a show of respect. It was rude to converse with him while hiding their faces and so Sakura didn't hesitate in removing her mask when he ordered her to do so, briefly returning his small smile.

"I have a mission for you all," Minato informed them. He looked proud sitting in his large chair, still as youthful as ever. She hoped she naturally looked half as young as he did at that age. That would certainly be an achievement. "It will be an infiltration mission." Those young features set into a grim mask, his blue eyes hiding the great worry Sakura knew was there. "As you are already aware: recently, Kiri-nin attempted to steal the Scroll of Seals, among several of the scrolls belonging to the previous Hokage."

So, it was their turn to make a move, was it? She narrowed her eyes fractionally. "You read my report, Hokage-sama?"

He nodded once, informing the others when they looked to her questioningly, "Sakura-chan noticed that some of the ANBU from Kiri were wearing a particular style of mask – one that signified them as the investigation unit."

Beside her, Kakashi glanced at her in approval. "Not many can tell the difference between their masks."

Shrugging, she replied with, "It's my duty to protect my village. I've learned everything I believe to be necessary, including things such as other villages' ANBU. The investigation unit are used to gather information before Kiri go to war or take part in an assassination." Looking to the two over her shoulders, Sakura added, "Both of you need to learn to tell the difference between them, too."

Sasuke simply nodded in understanding before stating blandly, "So we're going to war."

"I will do all I can to avoid that outcome," Minato told them all seriously. He leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on the edge of the table while his hands came together. "However, with the way things are going, my answer to that is yes. It looks like we are going to war with Kiri."

"Why?" demanded Naruto angrily, breaking formation to slam his hands down on his father's desk, uncaring for the piles of papers and scrolls threatening to fall over in response. "What the hell have we done?"

"Kiri recently lost their Mizukage at the hands of the fake Akatsuki," came Sakura's retort as she yanked him back into his place, uncaring of his startled squawk. "Now we're housing the real Akatsuki, but they can't tell the difference." Just as Naruto tried to argue, she cut him off, scowling. "Their Mizukage was their jinchūriki. If anything happened to Kushina-sama and you found out another village was housing those who supposedly took her life, would you sit on your ass and wait for answers?" He was silent and her eyes narrowed further. "I wouldn't. If somebody killed you or Kushina-sama, I wouldn't sit back. I wouldn't be able to."

Her words angered him. It was obvious in the way he gritted his teeth, his eyebrows coming together in a harsh scowl. "Only an idiot turns to revenge-"

She cut him off again, uncaring for whatever he was about to say as she stared him down coldly. "Only someone who hasn't experienced the death of someone they love can talk about revenge so naïvely."

"You-"

"Quiet," ordered Kakashi, glaring at them both with a single eye without even bothering to turn and face them. "If it's going to make you argue, keep your opinions to yourselves. What's happened has happened and we can't change that. All we can do is try to protect Konoha. That means infiltrating as a team. We can't do that if you're arguing the entire time."

"Kakashi is right," Minato agreed with a frown. "You need to put your differences aside until you are off duty."

Their eyes stayed locked for a few moments longer, hers hard and unmoving, and his no different. He was firm in his belief that revenge was for the weak, but she knew it was only because he'd never suffered a great loss in the way she had, or the people of Kiri had. When Ino died, it was like nothing mattered to her any more. Everything else had become background noise until she defeated the bastard who murdered her.

"Naruto," his father said more firmly, eyes narrowing. "Sakura-chan. That is enough."

Unable to disobey her Hokage, she turned her back on Naruto, facing forward once more. If she was being one hundred percent honest, then the blond wasn't going to last long in ANBU. Not with that mindset. He was too naïve. Then again, she'd been no different in the beginning. It was Ino's death that forced her to grow up, then ANBU forced her to toughen up. Would it do the same to Naruto? Would she let it harden him? Would it be for the best if it did?

"Despite Kakashi being the official captain of your squad, Sakura-chan, the responsibilities will fall to you." She nodded once in acceptance. "You are to learn from his example and follow all that he has to teach you."

"Adding to that," her former sensei said with a sigh. "If you're struggling to complete your duties at any point, I will step in and take command. Mission success is top priority, meaning if I believe we won't complete our mission, then I will intervene and take over. You can't argue with me about it."

Again, she nodded once, secretly relieved that she wasn't being thrown into the deep end. Kakashi was an observant guy and he wouldn't miss a single second of her struggling, so she could rely on him to take charge the moment their mission simply _looked_ as though it was about to be jeopardised. He wouldn't allow their squad to fail, to potentially put the village in danger.

"There is an enemy base on the outskirts of Fire Country," Minato went on to say and held out a scroll to her. She took it silently though did not open it, instead holding it at her side. "A scout of mine has noticed suspicious activity, but before he could report to me, he was captured by the enemy."

Naruto's gaze narrowed. "Then it's a rescue mission, too."

Idiot.

"Chances of him still being alive are slim to none," Sasuke said before any of them had the chance to say it more gently. "They'll get what they want out of him and then kill him to keep their own secrets."

"You don't know that-"

"Naruto, if you're going to argue against everything we have to say, then I don't think you're ready for ANBU."

Her words silenced him. It made the office fall into an awkward, uncomfortable silence. But what was she supposed to do? Allow him to continue believing things that were only going to hurt him in the end? He was naïve and reckless and it was going to get him killed. If it didn't kill him physically, then it'd kill him mentally and Sakura wasn't sure which one was worse.

"Sakura-chan, you-"

She turned to face him again, expression serious. "If we're out on a mission and we're facing a life or death situation-"

"I wouldn't argue with you then-"

"Then why argue with me now?" she demanded, patience snapping. "In front of Hokage-sama, no less? I'm supposed to be your superior, Naruto and you're undermining me by arguing against everything I have to say." Gritting her teeth at his silence, Sakura added, "ANBU is going to destroy you if you keep thinking like that. If the captive is alive, then that's great. We'll do everything we can to save him and bring him home. You know I'll always work myself to the bone to save my patients and comrades. But you need to look at things realistically otherwise it's going to break you."

"You mean become like you and all the others?" he questioned softly and his own expression emptied of anger, staring her down seriously. "Immune to the suffering our comrades are going through? Indifferent to taking lives-"

She cut him off harshly, unable to stop herself from snarling, "Indifferent? You think I'm indifferent to suffering and death?"

"Now isn't the time-" Minato tried to intervene, but damn it, she was so angry.

"I learned the hard way to stop thinking like a child, like some naïve brat," Sakura snapped at him. "It puts the lives of your teammates in danger as well as your own. It leads to failing missions, essentially endangering Konoha." Fists clenching tightly for a second, she reached out, yanking the blond down to her height so that they were eye-to-eye, but for the first time ever, Naruto seemed unconcerned with her anger. "For someone who's so determined on becoming Hokage, I would've expected better from you. Konoha's safety comes first. Even if it gets you killed."

A hand on her shoulder pulled her away from him, the hold on her wrist more restraining than she'd anticipated as Kakashi pinched the nerves, forcing her to release Naruto. The blond was staring at her in silence, his features set into a grim mask, but her own were no different. The sooner Naruto learned the harsh reality of ANBU the better.

"ANBU isn't some badass organisation that makes you look like a cool hero, Naruto," she continued quietly. "It's disgusting and dark and it will try its hardest to extinguish your light."

_Please don't let that happen to you._

"Then I'll brighten the whole thing up," he countered without pause.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from snorting and turning away, head lowered as she faced the Hokage again. His words reminded her of herself back when she first joined ANBU. It reminded her of her once constant struggle with Itachi. Lighting up ANBU was impossible, for it was so shrouded in darkness that it destroyed anything it touched. Navigating through the darkness was close to impossible unless you had something waiting for you at the other end, lighting the exit.

"You're so naïve."

* * *

It had been an hour since their mission debrief with the Hokage and during that time, they'd returned to their homes, collecting all that they'd need for their mission before meeting at her place. Also during that time, Sakura had spoken with her shishou to gain more insight on the place the enemy base was set up at. Minato had stated it was on the outskirts of Fire Country, but the mission scroll gave a more specific location and much to their displeasure, it wasn't a base in the middle of nowhere. It was in a busy village. They would have to find the place before infiltrating and if Kiri-nin were half as good as they were made out to be, then it would be a close to impossible task unless they revealed themselves.

"No, Sakura," Kakashi cut her off firmly from her question of their plans, single eye watching her intently. "What do _you_ think we should do?"

She didn't even hesitate. Didn't miss a beat. "I've asked Tsunade-sama about the area since it's known as a gambling town." Sakura ignored Naruto's smirk, instead kneeling at her coffee table, spreading out a map of the town her shishou had drawn out for her. Pointing to a specific part, she told them, "This is the most popular bar in the town. If we're going to find out anything, it'll be here."

Following her finger, Kakashi's eye narrowed a fraction and he nodded once. "I've heard of it, but are you sure?"

"It's a strip club," she said with a shrug. "For both men and women. To top it all off, there's a casino there. Tsunade-sama said the place is huge and it's always busy. Both civilians and shinobi go there."

"But you understand what would be expected of us, don't you?"

"Yeah." What was the problem?

He raised an eyebrow. "Not everyone here is skilled in that area, Sakura. To be a successful captain, you need to keep your teammates' skill set in your mind, otherwise you could be assigning them impossible tasks that could lead to their deaths."

"What area?" demanded Naruto, frowning.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, sitting down on the sofa. "Seduction, idiot. What else would it be? We're adequately skilled in everything else."

Shit. Rubbing her forehead, Sakura rethought her plan before her hand fell to the table, finger tapping a fast rhythm. "What if they keep watch?" she offered, looking up at her sensei. "They can make sure nobody suspects us and at the same time, they could pick up the basics in seduction."

The frown on Naruto's face deepened. "You've been on seduction missions, Sakura-chan?"

"Only one." Honestly, Sakura hated seduction missions. She'd hated being taught 'how to be a woman'. She hated everything about it. But knowing that Kakashi was there and that he was going through the same thing as her didn't make her feel as bad. It helped to know that it wasn't only women who went through it. "But all kunoichi receive lessons at a young age."

Sasuke was the one frowning now, though his looked more like a scowl as he sat forward, elbows resting on his knees. "How young?"

"Does it really matter?" she questioned. "It's young enough for it to stick."

"We're going off topic." She was grateful for Kakashi's interference, sending him a smile when the other two weren't looking at her. He simply nodded once. "Your plan is good, Sakura. Naruto can sense chakra now and Sasuke has his sharingan."

Exactly. Going back to her hand drawn map, Sakura eyed it critically. "We'll have to use earpieces to stay in contact with each other – this venue alone is large enough to create some distance between us. I suggest we work in pairs. Sasuke-kun, you can stay with me. Naruto, you're with Kakashi-sensei."

"Why-"

She took a deep breath through her nose, willing herself not to lose her temper again. After the meeting, Minato had asked to speak with her alone before reminding her that Naruto always liked to see the best in a bad situation. He was a sunny character, one who constantly thought positively. Of course she'd tried to argue, questioning whether he was truly ready for ANBU if that was the case, but Minato had countered with her own personality in the beginning of her ANBU career, and how much she'd grown since then. It was a necessary, harsh reality that Naruto had to face. Having his teammates, his friends, his loved ones around would help lessen the blow.

"Both Kakashi and I have the sharingan," came Sasuke's simple argument. "It's more beneficial splitting the skill set evenly."

Reluctantly, Naruto nodded and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. "I'd rather watch Sakura-chan seduce a target than Kakashi-sensei."

Green eyes rolled at that. "It's not like anything sexual will happen, Naruto."

"More like it can't." She met Sasuke's eye to find that he was already staring down at her, his pale features stern.

"It's not a case of it _can't_ happen," she argued. "It's that I _refuse_ to let it happen." Her gaze narrowed. "I'm not unfaithful."

"Oh?" Kakashi questioned and sat up in his seat on her sofa, hand ruffling her hair. "Have you and Itachi-san made it official now?"

There was no stopping her blush. "Yeah."

There was a knowing smirk behind that mask, his charcoal eye creasing ever so slightly. "I thought I recognised the scent. He was here before our meeting with Minato-sensei."

Her blush deepened.

"We should get on with it," Naruto interjected just as Kakashi went to say more.

Sighing, Sakura sat back on her feet, biting her thumbnail for a few moments as she assessed the map. She could feel their gazes on her, could feel they were waiting for her decision.

"We'll go with my plan," she informed them. "Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, you two will take this half of the bar." Pointing to the part she was talking about, Sakura added, "Split up, but never stray too far from Kakashi-sensei, Naruto. You need to watch him so that you'll be ready for this kind of mission next time. Sasuke-kun, it'll be more difficult for you because obviously, you won't want to be seducing targets as a woman."

He shrugged once. "There will still be things to learn."

That was the attitude she needed Naruto to have. That willingness. The drive. Understanding. Sasuke was more than willing to learn how to adjust to the life of an operative. He was determined to better himself. To grow. He partly understood the darkness of that world because he'd experienced it secondhand. He'd witnessed the effect it had on his brother and how it changed him.

"Exactly." Going back to her map, Sakura assessed the bars. Chances were, the Kiri-nin would be out in the open to throw them off. "Should you ever find yourself in the position where you need to seduce a man, you'll have this knowledge at the very least." No reply. Not that she really expected one. At least he didn't argue. "We'll take this half," she said, gesturing once more. "And we'll all use a henge and come up with false stories."

"We might not be there for long," Sasuke commented. "Are backstories really necessary?"

It was Kakashi who answered, nodding as he said, "While it would be suspicious for us to share so many details of our lives with strangers, it will be equally as suspicious for us to withhold all information."

Placing her elbow on the coffee table and her head in her hand, she glanced up at Sasuke and Naruto from beneath her lashes, murmuring, "Papa tried to sell me to the Kazekage, to marry one of his sons – I'm sure you've heard of them, right? The puppet master and the sand master. He promised the Kazekage a pure bride for his son, but…" She bit her lip and looked down, feigning shyness as she thought of her nights with Itachi, bringing on a blush and she pretended not to notice Naruto's immediate blush. "I'm not so pure. I was forced to run, but not before I stole as much money as I could." Sitting back and gesturing to the coffee table, she said, "Now I'm here. Trying to double what I've got so I can try and make a life for myself."

"A life for yourself?" questioned Kakashi curiously, coming to sit by her side. "Where?"

"I heard the weather's lovely in Taki at this time of year."

"Really humid, if you ask me." Sighing, he leaned back on one hand, the other trailing down her arm. "One of my clients had me go a while back – even in the dead of winter, it's humid. Can't imagine what it's like in the summer."

She bit her lip once more, taking the hand on her arm and linking their fingers. "I enjoy heat," she said softly, voice lowering an octave.

"Oh?" he hummed, droopy eye lidded. "I can-"

"Okay, okay. We get it." Naruto looked paler than usual as he shuddered, no traces of his previous interest present while shoving them apart so he could sit between them. "You're both creeping me out."

Sakura looked to the blond and raised an eyebrow. "But you see what we mean, right? Stories can be drawn out. It might not seem like much, but the further you get into the conversation, the more you extract from the target. One thing will lead to another and then you have that person under your thumb."

"It's about how you say things, too," added Kakashi. "And only initiate physical contact if the target seems willing. Push too hard and you lose them and your chance of completing your mission."

Sasuke must have been as uncomfortable as Naruto, because he changed the conversation without a care of remaining subtle, muttering, "Depending on what we find, we could be going to war."

The reminder had her stomach sinking to her feet for more reasons than she could even understand. Something in the back of her mind was nagging at her, repeating that _this_ was something that was supposed to have been avoided.

And for some reason, it caused a dull ache in her heart that she'd failed to avoid it.


	49. Gone Forever

**Chapter 49**

**Gone Forever**

* * *

Her fingers grazed the thick page, green eyes narrowing fractionally on the paint. Usually he stayed away from colours, but for some reason, her book was full of them. Each picture stood out brightly, jumping from the pages and demanding all attention and it left Sakura wondering if there was a hidden meaning to it. There had to be, right?

"What's that?"

She looked up at the man standing over her. It'd been eight hours since their meeting and since then, Naruto had calmed down considerably, deciding to listen to her earlier warning by ceasing all arguments. Of course, there'd probably be more disagreements somewhere down the line, but she was better prepared to deal with them now. She felt much calmer. Clearheaded, even.

"A sketchbook," she replied quietly.

Naruto frowned down at her before crouching, getting a closer look. "They're good." She nodded and cracked a small smirk at his next words. "Maybe not something you'd hang in the living room, but they're good."

The picture they were currently looking at was mostly made up of red. Different shades of it to match the shadows and lighting. There was so much blood in the picture. It drenched the page, drenched the figures standing amongst it all.

There was so much blood.

"…Yeah."

Blue eyes focused on her face intently. She could feel them even though she wasn't looking back at him. "Then why're you looking at it like that?"

"It's our life in ANBU," she murmured, voice unable to go any louder than a whisper. Turning back to the first picture, she said, "This is our first meeting."

He laughed loudly. "You punched him."

"He was asking for it." She huffed in amusement, once more touching the picture. This time, fondly. "He called me names."

When he held out his hands, Sakura hesitantly handed the book over to him, watching closely at how he handled it. Sai's art was to be admired, but that wasn't why she was so protective of her sketchbook. It was because it was precious to him and her. The fact that he'd spent the time and effort drawing out their time together meant something – no, it meant a lot. It meant everything.

There was one particular picture that she loved the most. It was the picture of Sai handing over the painting of Ino and after that picture, there was a noticeable shift in his art. There wasn't as much red. The person she knew was Sai was smiling more widely, more genuinely and more often than not, his eyes were closed with happiness. It warmed her heart to see the change in his heart. At the same time, however, it scared her. It felt like the calm before the storm, almost.

"I like this one," Naruto said, breaking her out of her paranoid thoughts. "You all look happy."

"It's not that we never were," came her quiet argument. Green eyes went to the page, the pain in her heart increasing. "ANBU's serious, Naruto. We can't be all cheerful and smiley all the time, you know. One little mistake – even something as simple as speaking too loudly – can get you killed or can destroy Konoha."

As they came to the final page, Sakura couldn't stop herself from taking the book from him, snapping it shut as her gut twisted harshly. All the while three words, three supposedly simple words, kept repeating themselves in her mind.

_Thank you, friend._

* * *

"Are you sure, Sakura-chan? You're on a mission right now."

Sparing a final, meaningful exchange with her summon, she set Katsuyu down on the floor. It was only a small part of her real body. Going any bigger would be pointless and would give away her position. "Please, Katsuyu-sama. I need you to use the reverse summoning jutsu."

"And speak with the Hokage, correct?" she questioned.

"I just need you to check up on something for me." Reaching into her pouch, she held out her sketchbook, frowning softly. "Please ask Hokage-sama to check on Sai – I know it's tedious for him, but…"

"Never ignore your gut instinct, Sakura-chan," Katsuyu reminded her. Bowing her head somewhat, she added, "I will contact Hokage-sama for you and will attempt to get word back to you without jeopardising your mission."

"Wait until I summon you again, just in case."

"Of course, Sakura-chan."

As soon as she was dismissed, the slug disappeared with a cloud of smoke and Sakura sighed, sitting back on her bed at the inn. It was another dingy place with ugly walls and questionable stains on the bed sheets and carpet. They weren't there for long, however. It was simply somewhere to keep their things, somewhere to run and recuperate in case of severe injuries. With a mission like theirs, it was difficult to predict what was going to happen, so it was imperative to have many plans to fall back onto.

Something wasn't right. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach – her gut instinct. Gods, why hadn't she looked at the sketchbook sooner? It was probably nothing, probably just her overactive imagination, but she couldn't ignore it. Couldn't ignore Sai. Not if he needed her help. Damn it, why did she have to be on a mission? What if he _did_ need her help and she wasn't there for him?

A single knock on her door had Sakura looking up, murmuring a quiet "enter" to the guest and when he entered, Sasuke did so silently, regarding her for a brief moment until he shut the door.

"He's not ready."

To the point as always. Watching Sasuke as he sat down beside her on the bed, she then rolled her eyes, shaking her head faintly. "He needs to be more serious about ANBU."

"But?"

"But I don't want him to lose that happy-go-lucky personality of his." Groaning with annoyance, Sakura fell back, staring up at the ceiling. "Naruto isn't Naruto unless he's going off about one thing or another. He's a big personality – a great character, even. I don't want him to…"

"To be more like us."

She shut her eyes and nodded. It was still odd to think of herself as similar to the others – to Itachi, Sasuke or Kakashi – but after hearing it so many times from others, she supposed it was about time to get used to it. ANBU _had_ changed her and there was no getting around it or avoiding it any longer.

"It's unavoidable," he muttered, then surprised her by adding, "But Naruto's always been unpredictable. He'll probably stay the same just to piss everyone off."

She chuckled at that. It sounded just like him. "We'll have to wait and see what happens."

"Yeah."

Sighing, she tilted her head in his direction, reopening her eyes. "Is that all you've come here to say?"

"No." Pausing for a moment, Sasuke said, "We're going to partner up for the mission. Obviously, I've never been on a mission of this ranking before. I don't know if ANBU has different signals or codes."

Oh. Shit, she should've mentioned that to the team during the debriefing. It only went to show she truly wasn't ready to become a captain – there was still a way to go. "It's different for every team, I think."

"You think?" Sasuke repeated disbelievingly.

"Give me a break, Sasuke-kun. I've only been on two ANBU squads and that's _including_ ours."

"Sakura-"

"Look," she cut him off firmly and sat up. "We'll use a code we're familiar with – temporarily, of course." Sakura couldn't help but roll her eyes at his expression of disapproval. "Then, when we've returned to the village, we can come up with a new one, one that only Team Seven can understand."

Sighing, since he knew there was no arguing with her, Sasuke nodded, muttering, "Fine. Also, I've come up with a new strategy."

A new strategy? While most captains disliked their teammates questioning their plans for the mission, she decided to go with Genma's approach – listening to what their teammates had to say, taking it all on board and then incorporating it with the original idea somehow. That way everyone was included.

"Go ahead."

"You said it's a big place." She nodded once. "If it's only you and Kakashi searching for information, then that's not going to be enough."

Sakura blinked in surprise, watching her friend and teammate closely. "Are you offering to seduce a possible target?"

There was a long pause and the hesitation alone told her that that wasn't what he was talking about. Still, it was funny watching him blush slightly. "If it comes to it. But that's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

"Shadow clones," he explained. "Since you're both more experienced in seduction, I suggest using shadow clones, giving them all different appearances and ordering them to spread out. It'll cover more ground that way."

That sounded pretty good, actually. "And then you and Naruto can stay with our real bodies. Since they're clones, they won't need ear pieces, either. They can just dismiss themselves and then all information will come back to us."

"Exactly. And if something goes wrong, it'll buy us time to escape, should we need to retreat. I take it your clones are stronger now."

It wasn't a question and that made her happy. It was like Sasuke expected it of her. "Of course."

"Good."

* * *

They were all in position. After explaining the revised plan to Kakashi and Naruto, they decided to go with Sasuke's idea, thinking it to be the wisest and least time consuming. Deciding to push themselves just that little bit further, she and Kakashi each made three clones, all different in appearances. They were all beautiful, in her honest opinion. Her own henge made her hair a warm chocolate brown, eyes changing to hazel. Her chest was bigger, waist slightly smaller, though she decided that her hips were fine the way they were. To go with her new appearance was a civilian dress that she'd recently bought for the sake of the mission, along with heels.

One of her clones had black hair, her appearance elegant as she stood tall and proudly. Another was blonde and the stereotypical girl one usually met in a bar, what with the huge chest, skimpy clothing and heavy makeup. Finally, her last clone had blue hair with even bluer eyes. That one was a risky one, in Sakura's opinion. While she would undoubtedly attract attention, there was such a thing as too much attention. At the same time, however, the clone would take any suspicion away from Sakura. It was almost a mixture of the other two clones – beautiful, elegant and dressed in a way that demanded a person's attention.

Kakashi's clones were equally attractive, although he certainly took all their breaths away as he stunned them by lowering his mask. He did it in such a nonchalant way, seemingly at peace like it was something he did all the time, despite it being their first time seeing him without his mask. His clones were nothing in comparison, Sakura instantly noticed, eyes widening a fraction. She had to stop herself from reaching out, from touching his face to be sure that what she was seeing, was real. Even Sasuke seemed wary about what he was seeing, his eyes flashing crimson for just a split second. Naruto, on the other hand, was suddenly on his feet and in Kakashi's face, eyes wider than they've ever been.

"After all this time," Naruto yelled, unable to calm himself. "_That_'s all it took to get it off you? A freaking mission?"

"Some people enjoy the mystery of the mask," came him simple, noticeably quieter retort. "Unfortunately, this mission requires me to be at my best. If I'm wearing the mask, it's obvious I'm from a shinobi background."

His black hair and stunningly blue eyes had her inwardly pouting, as she wanted to see his real face. Wanted to see his normal eyes, his normal hair rather than the slicked back hairstyle he had going on. Hell, she wanted to know if the scar that was usually over his left eye, went all the way down to his cheek. At that moment in time, it was gone, along with any other distinguishing features he may have had.

"Ah." Kakashi chuckled sheepishly and scratched the side of his slightly tanned face. "I don't know whether to feel uncomfortable or flattered by your staring."

The face was the same shape, Sakura noticed, narrowing her eyes fractionally. Same forehead, same nose (size, at least) and his eyes were still kind of droopy, if you asked her. The clones surrounding him were all different in appearances – one taller, one brawnier and the last one a mixture of the two. Again, the details about those three didn't bother her. She was too into assessing Kakashi's features, trying to figure out if they were real or a henge, to care about them.

Naruto was still bouncing around, his own henge nothing special. With the brown hair and black eyes, he could almost pass as Kiba's double, if it weren't for the height and muscular differences, not to mention he had no face paint on. His whiskers were also nowhere to be seen.

Looking to her right, she critically assessed Sasuke's henge, unsure if it was such a wise idea to go with the long hair. It made him look more like Itachi and she knew for a fact that he was in all the Bingo Books. If somebody recognised him, it could cause trouble for their mission. Then again, his eyes were bright green, skin just as tanned as Kakashi's and there were faint freckles dusting his nose and cheeks.

"Keep your hair down, Sasuke-kun. That style is too similar to Itachi's."

Her words had Naruto snickering, his attention finally away from Kakashi, who instantly sighed in relief and allowed his head to drop low. "Tryin' to look like your precious big brother, eh?"

"I look nothing like him-"

"No, Sakura's right," Kakashi argued calmly and sat down on the edge of the bed, once more checking through their supplies. "It's the facial structure more than anything, however."

"You still look like an Uchiha," she added. "But with the long hair, you look like your brother more than anyone. You need to change it."

With a final glance of annoyance, he altered his henge, his nose becoming less sharp, cheeks rounder and his hair turned a dull ash brown shade. "Better?"

"Loads." Turning to face the mirror in her room, Sakura grabbed her chopsticks, twisting her hair expertly before sliding them into place. It'd almost become second nature now to wear them for infiltration missions, for she knew there was the off chance of needing to use her femininity to gain access to restricted areas. They were an extra precaution – no, double that, since they were now coated in a fast acting poison. "Do you remember the plan, Naruto?"

He nodded, brown, messy hair bouncing with the movement. "I'm guarding the real Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke's guarding the real you."

"Oi, what about us?" one of her clones demanded shrilly – it was the blonde one, Sakura noted with a roll of her eyes. At least the clone was getting into the character of a spoiled brat. "Shouldn't we be guarded, too?"

"You don't need guarding." It felt strange arguing with her own clone.

"You're as bad as _him_," another clone, the blue haired one, snapped and gestured to Naruto rudely. "He doesn't care about what he puts his clones through, either. I mean, have you even _seen_ how he treats them?"

"Enough," Sasuke muttered. "If I'd known how annoying it would be to have four versions of Sakura in one room, I wouldn't have suggested my plan."

Sakura laughed at that, nudging him playfully. "Come on, Sasuke-kun. We're not that bad."

At her words, her black haired clone smiled sweetly at him, a sharp contrast to the two other clones who were currently seething at being called annoying. "You shouldn't say such mean things, Sasuke-kun."

Sighing, Sakura turned her back on the scene, already knowing what was coming. Just because the clone was acting and appearing elegant for the sake of the mission, it didn't mean she _was_.

The punch that had Sasuke flying backwards and yelling out in surprised pain solidified that thought.

* * *

It was equally impressive and crummy – depending on what part of the casino she was looking at. Tsunade had described the place as a bar, but Sakura believed it was more of a casino than anything due to all the gambling going on around her. Sure, there was alcohol (lots of it) and she plucked a dish from a passing waitress, chakra already breaking it apart before she'd even finished the sake.

"_Is that a wise idea?"_ came Sasuke's drawl through her earpiece. No doubt he was still pissed off about her clone punching him. "_Even breaking it down won't have much effect if you're drinking like that."_

Had Sasuke always nagged like that? She couldn't remember. Ducking her head slightly in a coy gesture as she met the eyes of a possible target and making sure her lips didn't move too much, Sakura murmured in reply, "I hope you're not planning on nagging in my ear throughout the entire mission."

"_Nagging?"_ he questioned with a scoff. "_I'm being professional. You might want to try it."_

Drinking while on a mission _was_ frowned upon, she accepted reluctantly. She simply didn't see it as the same as when others did it, since they weren't capable of breaking the alcohol down so that it didn't give them the full effect. Yes, Sakura would admit that it tasted great – better than great, in fact – and she was enjoying the buzz, but like hell she'd get wasted when she had a job to do. Tsunade had recommended she tried their homemade sake (which was risky, but definitely worth it), so she was trying it. Plus, it'd be suspicious if she didn't drink.

Not giving him a response, she offered another smile to the man standing at one of the tables, her hazel eyes drifting to the side in another shy gesture, like she was unable to keep their eyes connected for long. It had the desired effect. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he placed down his empty sake dish and made his way over to her.

Other than the gambling tables to allow people to see what they were doing clearly, the casino didn't offer much light (she supposed it added a strange mysterious effect to it all). Her eyesight was great, however, so Sakura noticed that the man had dark chestnut brown hair and it was spiky, framing his rugged, tanned features. Definitely a shinobi – she could tell just by the feeling of his chakra. It was powerful, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"Yo," he said, voice husky. She supposed it was pleasant, possibly even attractive to some women, but in her honest opinion, it had nothing on Itachi's morning voice. Just recalling how his voice sounded when he was first waking up made a gentle shiver run down her spine, so she tried hard not to remember the way he would nibble her earlobe and whisper in her ear. "I hope it's not too forward to say I've been watching you since the moment you walked through the door."

Still thinking of that morning with Itachi, a soft blush came to the surface of her cheeks. "I didn't even notice," she replied timidly and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. It was mostly pinned back with the use of her chopsticks, but the shorter bits wouldn't stay up.

A long finger tapped the side of his nose, bringing her attention to the strange shade of his eyes. Were they green? Blue? A mixture of the two? Was that a fleck of orange in the middle? No, amber? "I'm just that skilled."

There was a scoff in her ear and Sakura held back the urge to roll her eyes. So far, the guy came across as nothing more than a peacock. "Oh?" she asked, feigning intrigue as her eyes widened slightly. "You're a shinobi?"

He nodded and stepped closer, fingers trailing down her arm in a way that reminded her of how Kakashi had done it not too long ago. The guy's touch wasn't as gentle, though. It didn't make goosebumps break out on her skin. Also, his hands were softer, telling her that he either spent a lot of time taking care of his skin or he didn't do much work as a shinobi. Her own hands were probably rougher than his, scarred by the many battles she'd been in, calloused from her countless hours of training.

"My name's Airi," she told him, smiling.

"No surname?"

He didn't seem overly suspicious – just curious. It wasn't unusual for people to not mention their surnames, though they were mainly shinobi. Her smile grew coy once more. "I was disowned by my family for not being…"

_That_ got his attention and in the back of her mind, Sakura smirked. Men were so easy. "Pure?"

Again, she blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's the way you walk," he told her, the hand once running down her arm coming up to her face. It was a conscious effort not to flinch at the feeling of his fingers brushing her throat. "Like you demand everyone's attention with just a sway of your hips."

"Anything else you noticed?" she asked in a lower voice.

He was encouraged by her actions of running her fingers along his bare arm, spurred on by the seductive tone of her voice. "I noticed that you're not as innocent as you look."

"_You just said that_," Sasuke snorted in her ear.

Oh, she was going to beat that boy when the mission was over. How was she supposed to stay professional when he was continuously making snide comments? Now she wasn't even sure how to reply to the guy. "What's your name?"

"Kohaku," he said. Apparently he had no surname either, not that it truly mattered just yet. If she pushed too much, he would get suspicious.

"Kohaku," Sakura repeated with a warm smile. "Meaning amber?" He nodded once. "Like the flecks of amber in your eyes."

"I guess so."

"_Find something else to talk about,"_ came Sasuke's quiet mutter. This time, he was serious. "_His body language says he's uncomfortable."_

Tragic past, more than likely. Then again, who didn't have one? "How about a drink?" she asked, still smiling.

His previous demeanour returned as a large grin split his lips. "Now you're talking."

The casino was decorated lavishly towards the centre and not a single table was unoccupied, tens of people surrounding each of them, waving their money or calling out excitedly. It was like being surrounded by a mass amount of clones of her shishou. A lot of them were drunk, others refusing to touch a drop until they'd won some money, wanting to keep their heads clear. Towards the back of the club were the strippers, their bodies swaying to the music that was playing in the background. Hungry eyes devoured their bodies from all parts of the club and Sakura had to admit, even her gaze occasionally drifted to them, curious.

How would she go about seducing the target without actually touching him? No matter what, she was a shinobi first – she understood that perfectly. However, Sakura absolutely refused to be unfaithful. She and Itachi had overcome so many obstacles in the years they'd known one another. She loved him too much to jeopardise all that they'd achieved together. She cared for him too much to hurt him like that. So, what was she supposed to do? Well, in future, there would be no more seduction missions, not even if she was the only one who could do it. She'd offer her deepest apologies to her Hokage, but vehemently refuse to accept any more. It simply wasn't fair on Itachi and could possibly create a strain on their relationship. She couldn't risk that.

The guy certainly wasn't a lightweight, Sakura quickly realised. He knocked them back without hesitation, without much of a reaction. It got to the stage where she had to call for the stronger stuff, the stuff Tsunade told her to avoid while on a mission. It took longer to break it down. Took more chakra to counter. Damn it, she'd hoped it'd get him drunk quicker. She couldn't try to keep up with him. She needed to be professional.

"_Slow down."_

Hopefully her clones weren't drinking much. If they were to disappear before sobering up, it would hit her hard.

While his ability to handle alcohol seemed on par with her shishou's, that was where the similarities stopped for he won a crazy amount of money as she hung on his arm. Dragging every bit of information she could from him, taking advantage of his elated mood, she plied him with more and more alcohol, proving both hers and Sasuke's suspicions correct that he wasn't all that. He was nothing more than an average shinobi overselling his skills.

It was around two hours after meeting him that she was helping Kohaku to the inn he was staying at. Somewhere behind them, Sasuke was close by. She couldn't sense him but she knew he was there. The sun was already setting, darkening the streets and making it harder to see in her tipsy state. Fortunately, the cold evening air sobered her up somewhat when combined with her chakra constantly working at the alcoholic substance. She still had a show to put on, though.

"You're such a bad in…" She snickered, slurring her words and putting on a hiccup. "I-Influence."

Under different circumstances, she supposed she could have come to enjoy Kohaku's presence. Yes, he was cheesy and used cliché lines, but she was pleasantly surprised to find she'd being laughing genuinely at his jokes. He reminded her of Naruto. It was a shame that, for now, he was nothing more than a target. Possibly her enemy.

She found herself hoping it was a false lead.

"Not much," he said as they stumbled into his room at the inn, gesturing to the space.

"For shinobi, I s'pose it doesn't matter, right?" Sakura questioned curiously. "Don't you move 'round a lot?"

Finally, she released him, swaying over to the windowsill. To Kohaku, it appeared as though she was simply admiring the view (not that there was much to see – it was nothing more than buildings and drunks), but really she was looking for Sasuke. He was good at hiding, though. She couldn't see or sense him. While it should have had her feeling proud of her teammate's skills, it made her stomach twist. To make matters worse, he hadn't said anything for a few minutes. She was starting to miss his smart remarks. She could have done with them distracting her from what was about to happen.

Green eyes glanced over her shoulder, watching Kohaku closely as he clumsily removed his shoes and shirt, flopping down on the bed. There was no grace that usually accompanied a shinobi's movements and it had her inwardly frowning. The guy wasn't that drunk, was he? Or had he been trying to hide it?

"C'mere," he slurred, hand stretched out towards her.

Shit. What was she supposed to do?

"Oh?" she replied with a smirk. "And here I was going to dance for you."

He became more alert at that, his strangely coloured eyes opening a little wider like that would help him see through his drunken haze. "Who am I to turn that down?" Kohaku asked, returning the smirk. "Dance for me."

Usually, women started with taking their hair down, allowing it to frame their faces and whatnot (done correctly, it looked sensual), but it was imperative to leave her hair up, just in case she needed to use the chopsticks in self-defence later. Instead, her fingers slowly trailed down the collar of her dress, following the v-shaped neckline as she teased it lower. His eyes didn't leave her hand for a second.

"You have such strange eyes," she murmured softly and her hips began to move gently, the swell of her hips and the dip of her waist instantly capturing his attention. "Like none I've ever seen before."

They were beautiful, no doubt about it. But she was serious when she said she'd never seen a shade quite like his. Every time she looked at them, she could've sworn they were a different colour. Was it the light? Was it a trick? Genjutsu?

"Everyone in my clan has 'em," he grunted, shifting in his seat when the straps of her dress slipped off her shoulders.

"Clan?" she repeated, impressed. "I've always wondered what it'd be like to be part of a clan. Seems so united." She giggled. "I sound silly."

He chuckled once. "Kinda."

The sound of movement on the other end of her radio had her breathing out a silent sigh. Sasuke was okay. He probably understood that she really needed to concentrate now and was staying silent for her.

"What's it like, though?" asked Sakura and she added a bigger sway of her hips. "Having a big family like that?"

Kohaku scoffed, surprising her. "Family… A clan and a family are two entirely different things." His eyes were piercing as they left her hips and met hers, like there was a deeper meaning to his words than she was taking in. "You can be a part of the strongest, most noble clan in the world and yet all you feel is loneliness. Whereas some people can count their family on one hand and can admit, without hesitation, that they've never felt a day's loneliness."

The alcohol must have loosened his lips for her, Sakura realised belatedly and she came to a stop in her languid teasing. "Is your clan like that, Kohaku-kun?" she asked softly. "Big, strong and noble, but lonely?"

His head fell back onto the pillows, eyes shutting with resignation. Shit, had he lost interest in her? Was he growing annoyed? Shit. What was she supposed to do?

"S'pose."

What clan was he a part of? None she'd ever heard of. There were a number of clans that held strange eyes, but the only ones that came to mind in that moment were the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clans. Nagato's face also flashed through her mind, but she knew his eyes weren't from his clan because Kushina was also an Uzumaki and she certainly didn't possess the Rinnegan.

"But I'm outta there now," Kohaku continued with a sigh and dragged himself into a sitting position, watching her closely. "Now, I'm with you. My clan doesn't matter."

Shit. She had no choice. Smiling coyly, Sakura looked down at her hands, briefly hesitating before she was unbuttoning her dress, allowing it to fall to the ground, pooling around her feet. It left her standing in her underwear, which weren't anything special, but still a nice set.

"Beautiful," he mumbled.

He said it so genuinely, like he truly meant it and it had her meeting his eyes once more, smiling. It was probably something he said to every woman he slept with, but it was still nice to hear. It was nice to be appreciated, even if it was only appearance-wise. Yes, Itachi appreciated every part of her now and yes, he more or less worshipped her body when they made love, but… It was hard to explain. It was just different. It was nice to feel beautiful.

Kohaku stood to meet her, his hands running gently over her skin, eyes staring down at her intensely and making her bite her lip. She was scared. She had no idea how to drag more information out of him or how to stall him. At that moment, sex seemed inevitable. Like it had to happen to get what she wanted. That was what scared her. She didn't want to break her promise to Itachi. She'd promised to protect his heart. Sleeping with some guy she didn't even know for the sake of a mission wasn't protecting his heart. It would break it. Crush it, even.

She needn't have worried, though. Just as his hand cupped her face and tilted it back, just as his face lowered to hers and his eyes shut, there was an angered yell on her radio, followed by a sudden explosion to their right, prompting Kohaku to snap his eyes open and spin them, shielding her body with his.

_What the hell was happening?_

His skills were slightly better than she'd given him credit for, because when five masked shinobi burst into the room with their weapons drawn, Kohaku was quick to react, already holding his weapons and keeping her behind him.

"Sorry 'bout this, Airi-chan," he murmured and lowered himself into a defensive crouch, eyeing the enemies. "These guys have been a pain in my ass for so long. I thought I'd have just one last night left, though." Scoffing, he shot forward, preparing to strike. "Oh well."

Wait, what?

Her eyes snapped back to the group, taking in their masks with pure horror.

Kiri-nin.

So Kohaku wasn't–

Instinctively, she caught the hand suddenly reaching for her hair, grip unyielding as she stared up at the mask in front of her in shock. Everything felt… dull, in a way. Like she wasn't actually experiencing it for herself. She was just a spectator. Genjutsu, maybe? It was strong whatever it was. Frustratingly, that feeling only worsened as the Kiri-nin made quick work of killing Kohaku, leaving him in a pool of his own blood until one of them knelt beside him, beginning their role of being a hunter-nin and extracting all secrets hidden within his body. The blood was draining out of him, drenching the floorboards and quickly making its way closer to her.

_There was so much blood._

She'd gotten him killed. An innocent man who simply wanted out of his clan, possibly his village, for a new start. To rid himself of his loneliness. If it hadn't been for her giving him one drink after another, dulling his senses and leaving him to stumble several times during the short battle… Would he have won? She wasn't sure. She couldn't make a judgement. She didn't know him well enough. But from what she did know, he…

He really had been a kind person.

He had saved her life during that explosion.

He _had_ been genuine when he called her beautiful.

The hand in her grip was mercilessly crushed, but Sakura paid no attention to the scream of agony from the man who was now kneeling before her, trying desperately to take back his shattered hand. He was begging her to release him, begging her to have mercy. Two others suddenly grabbed her, putting her in a secure lock and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fight back. Whether it was the last traces of alcohol still in her system, or the horror and despair that she'd gotten an innocent man killed…

_Where the hell was her teammate?_

"Must be with the others," one of the Kiri-nin spat hatefully. "Take her to headquarters. Taichou will know what to do with her."

The man she'd injured cried out pitifully into the floor, clutching his now free hand to his chest. "S-Senpai."

Their captain turned his back on them, sending an awful shiver down her spine as he muttered, "Get rid of him. Weakness makes me sick."

* * *

What…?

Bleary eyes opened, weakly fighting against whatever was trying to keep her unconscious. When she'd fallen asleep, she wasn't entirely sure. Sakura couldn't remember much. But she didn't question it for too long, for it made sense to knock the captive out, that way they wouldn't know where the hideout was. It was common sense, really.

"You're awake."

Gods, her head felt heavy. Like the worst hangover she'd ever experienced. Still, Sakura fought on as she lifted her head, looking around the bright room with squinting eyes. It was way too bright for her liking. The lights were too harsh, reminding her of the hospital and everything was white. Pristine. It hurt her head. Much to her relief, however, her boys were there, too. Okay, she was a little disappointed they were there, because who the hell was supposed to rescue her stupid ass now, but she couldn't hold it against them. The Kiri-nin were wiser than they'd anticipated.

"Thank the Gods," Naruto breathed out a deep sigh, blue eyes shutting with relief. "You haven't moved in ages, Sakura-chan."

Unlike the three men who were all tied to the walls, she was suspended from the ceiling and was in the centre of the room. Whereas both their hands and feet were tied up, hers were not. That was a fatal mistake on their enemies' part. Her kick was just as strong as her punch – something they would soon figure out. They–

Her eyes went wide and she tugged on her chains, forcing herself to stand up straight.

Why couldn't she summon her chakra? Was her henge still active? The others' were. Shaking her head slightly, she was glad to see not pink hair, but brown. They couldn't know her identity, it was just asking for trouble.

Like he could read her mind, Kakashi murmured, "They have a highly skilled sensory type, it seems."

Shit. They picked up on the Kyuubi's chakra, which was their reasoning behind restricting all their chakra. It was hard to miss for a beginner, so she couldn't imagine how quickly their position was given away with a highly skilled sensory type. Saying that, her boys were all still disguised, meaning their identities hadn't actually been discovered. That would work in their favour. He could just be a boy who'd had part of the Kyuubi's chakra sealed within him. It wouldn't just be a problem, it would be devastating for the Kiri-nin to know they had not just any boy, but the Yondaime Hokage's son in their cell.

Her clones had been dispatched of at some point, she noticed belatedly, only just receiving their memories and experiences now that she was conscious. One of them had stumbled across a Kiri-nin – the elegant one. For a while, she'd had him eating out of the palm of her hand, but when the alarms were raised, she'd given away her position.

Damn it.

"Calm yourself, Sakura," Kakashi ordered quietly. "They'll know you're awake now, so they'll come back. Remember your training."

_Don't give anything away._

_Protect Konoha and its secrets._

There were no windows in their cell. Only a single door that she was already facing. It opened without pause, without hesitation, but it was only one man who entered. The man from the inn, she realised and upon remembering his face, she remembered Kohaku. Remembered how he'd tried to protect her despite not knowing her. To him, she was just a civilian who needed protecting.

She should have helped him.

Gritting her teeth, she tightened her hold on her restraints, wrapping them around her hands to steady herself. Gods, she wanted to hurt him. Perhaps hurt herself, too. After all, it was her fault Kohaku was dead. She'd chosen the wrong man to interrogate. She hadn't thought it through before deciding to focus on him. Going to the first shinobi she saw was… It was stupid. Ridiculous. And now an innocent man was dead because of her foolishness.

"Finally," the giant of a man said.

Ignoring her teammates telling her not to, Sakura used the rope as leverage to lift herself, kicking out at the man who'd murdered Kohaku. He was still dressed in full uniform, still wearing his mask. It didn't matter to her. And when he caught her left leg, she put as much strength as she could into the right, smirking to herself when she managed to shatter his mask.

He was a plain man. Nothing special. Nothing to remember. Sakura was guessing that he was around mid-thirties, possibly early forties. She didn't have much time to take in his features because he was grabbing at her legs, trying to hold her still.

"Get him," Naruto yelled, fighting against his restraints. "Kick him where it hurts!"

Oh, she was so tempted. Especially as one of those hands reached a little too high. They hadn't dressed her before bringing her to the cell (not that she expected them to, but it would've been nice if they had – she might've held back once she was free), so she was wearing nothing but her underwear and heels. Thankfully, none of her boys made comments about it or did anything to make her feel uncomfortable about it.

When his large hand grabbed at her ass, she growled warningly, her anger drowning out the others' warnings to the man. She didn't hear Naruto screaming at him to get the hell off her, didn't hear Sasuke muttering threats at him, didn't even hear Kakashi chuckling darkly, warning the guy that he was going to regret touching her. Her body was on fire, heart in her throat as she fought against her restraints – they were only rope, but it was laced in chakra and tied to something on the ceiling. It was still breakable, though. That much was proven as the contraption began to give way beneath her slowly returning strength, her reserves still available for her to use. She just had to open them without being drained.

Needing more weight now that he was holding her up, trying to hold her still, Sakura slammed her head forward, shoving away the wave of pain and dizziness that accompanied headbutting someone. Instead, she focused on kicking him away and yanking on her restraints, not listening to Naruto's encouragements as it finally gave way. Though her hands were still tied up, she was able to move more freely. She wasn't as vulnerable.

Or so she thought.

"You want to have some fun, eh?"

The Kiri-nin moved faster than she'd anticipated (although it was to be expected of a captain), knocking the breath out of her as she was thrown to ground. A stab of fright shot through her at the position they landed in, with him pinning her down, body uncomfortably close to hers.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, blue eyes wide with fear.

_Idiot,_ she wanted to scream at him. Instead of doing so, she stared up at the man daringly, a smirk pulling at her lips. It threw him off, made him second guess his choice, but she knew that was partly due to Naruto blurting out her name. She decided that there was no point in keeping up with appearances and let her henge go, the others following her example. Short brown hair grew longer, turned pastel pink and her hazel eyes changed to hard green.

"Some fun?" she questioned softly, voice sounding almost like a purr. Her eyes narrowed, smirk widening at his horror. "But I don't think you can handle my kind of fun. I like playing rough."

Before any of them could react, Sakura snapped her knee up to his groin, though didn't waste any time to watch as his face grew red and his eyes widened from the pain. While he was stunned, she bucked her hips and headbutted him again, throwing him off her and was quick to follow up her assault by launching herself at him, her legs wrapping around his neck and squeezing.

"Told you so," she stated sweetly, mere seconds before she snapped his neck with a single jerk of her thighs.

Hoisting herself to her feet, she looked amongst her teammates, ignoring Naruto's horrified shock. The other two were more understanding, knowing full well what direction the man's course of actions were taking.

"We don't have long," Kakashi warned them, thankfully changing the subject.

"Take the chopsticks from my hair," Sakura ordered and knelt before him. As soon as they left her hair, she felt it fall around her shoulders. "The ends are sharpened and they're laced with poison, so don't catch your skin."

While their former sensei freed himself with one chopstick, she took the other, deftly severing the rope binding her hands together. Once done, they passed them on to the two men, already thinking of strategies.

"What do you think?" he asked her.

She narrowed her eyes fractionally, watching as her boys cut through the rope. "Whoever they had on that team was capable of sensing the Kyuubi's chakra," she murmured thoughtfully. "If we were to escape this cell, I don't doubt we'll be captured again."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "So, we wait."

"Seriously?" demanded the blond with clear agitation. "That's all we're gonna do?"

"There's no telling who's out there," Sasuke muttered, the ropes once binding his wrists falling to his feet. His eyes were fixated on the chopstick, the one they knew was his gift to her. He'd given them to her after finding out she was in ANBU. "There was a mixture of Kiri-nin and Kumo-nin."

What? Kumo-nin, too? What the hell was going on? Why were they teaming up? Just thinking of the possibilities filled her with dread, especially considering the fact they'd tried stealing their forbidden jutsu.

He was scowling, about to argue, but Sakura cut him off firmly, stating, "Kumo have two jinchūriki, Naruto and those jinchūriki are in complete control of their tailed beasts. We can't take a gamble here. If they manage to capture you, especially now that you're in control of the Kyuubi, that leaves Konoha considerably weaker. It also leaves the risk of them taking the Kyuubi and training someone to control its power."

"She's right," Kakashi said, interrupting Naruto when he once more looked ready to argue. "You're too great an asset to the village, Naruto. If you want to remain in ANBU, you need to understand that the village is your number one priority. We must prevent anything that could weaken or put Konoha at risk."

Sasuke's dark gaze settled on her and, after a few moments, he handed over one of the chopsticks, soon removing his shirt and handing it to her, too. "That includes you, also. Only two of our medic-nin are capable of fighting on the front line. Should anything happen to the village, you or Tsunade will be able to heal hundreds while fighting at the same time."

Solemnly, she nodded. Even if it cost the rest of the team their lives, they had to ensure both herself and Naruto returned the village.

However, she would never return without her boys. Screw ANBU. Screw the rules.

"Good thing I can't die in battle, right?"


	50. Brothers in Arms

**Chapter 50**

**Brothers In Arms**

* * *

How cute.

Smirking, Sakura strengthened her arm, allowing the enemy to believe he'd proven to be a challenge, allowing him to test her strength as their arms slammed together, the collision of their strengths causing the ground below them to crumble. She heard his yell of agony, felt the bones in his arm shattering under her strength. Putting him out of his misery, she brought her other fist down, killing him instantly with a well-placed punch to the temple.

They'd managed to break out of the hideout – which, by the way, was in an incredibly sneaky place. It was in the dead centre of the town, surrounded by holiday makers and people trying to make a living. It made fighting the enemies that much harder, since they couldn't go at full strength. The Kiri-nin and Kumo-nin didn't seem concerned in the least, especially the former and it had her gritting her teeth to hold back her anger, had her throwing herself in front of more attacks to defend the terrified civilians who were running in every direction to escape the battle.

Amongst the screams of horror and fear, she could hear the tell-tale signs of her boys battling behind her. Naruto was using his infamous techniques: rasengan and the shadow clone jutsu, demanding the most attention due to how loud everything was with him. He couldn't go in silently, couldn't _not_ yell out his strategies to his clones. With his fighting style, he destroyed several market stalls and buildings. Even _she_ managed to avoid that – what was his excuse?

Sasuke was more discreet and she couldn't have felt prouder as she noticed him relying mainly on taijutsu, using his enemies' hands when one of his was occupied to create the necessary hand signs for a roaring fire dragon jutsu. It was intelligent. It was something to admire.

The two boys – no, men, couldn't have been any more different if they'd tried. Whereas Naruto hopped over enemies and landed messy finishing blows to make it quick (more often than not allowing said enemies to get back up again, making more trouble for them), Sasuke mercilessly cut down anyone who got in his way, keeping civilian bloodshed non-existent on his part. It went to prove that ANBU was only for those with darkness in their hearts.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kakashi summon his ninken pack, ordering Pakkun to return to the village to inform Minato of what was happening. The rest were to aid them in battle and following his strategy, for Katsuyu was more than just a slug who could use medical ninjutsu, Sakura also used the summoning jutsu, darting through the small battlefield to attach parts of her to each of her teammates (the rest were on standby, prepared to rush to the aid of civilians if needed). Through her, she was capable of communicating with her team, not to mention she could heal them simultaneously and offer a short term defence if they needed distance. Fortunately, the civilians were mostly gone now, allowing them to spread out a bit further to split the enemies up.

A spray of acid was spat out without warning, hitting their targets and Sakura inwardly winced at the screams of torture that rung clearly through the air. She didn't look over at them as they clawed at their skin, as they tried to remove themselves of the acid – it was a wasted attempt, anyway. Nobody could survive Katsuyu's acid.

There was so much noise around her. Battle cries and yells, terrified screams, vicious growling and barking, howls of agony and moans of death. It was haunting and Sakura knew she would be hearing those sounds for many nights in her dreams.

Now wasn't the time to lose her head, though. She had a battle to win. Had to report to her Hokage. Had to find Sai and make sure he was okay.

_She had to go home!_

Dropping to the ground and skidding through the dirt, Sakura narrowly avoided having her head taken clean off by a katana being spun around dangerously. Did the idiot even know how to handle it properly? Gritting her teeth, she spun, leg kicking out and taking the enemy's legs out from under him. He landed horribly, twisting his ankle on the way down but the thing that stunned her most was his loss of control of the katana, which landed straight through his chest.

"Talk about bad luck," somebody sneered to her left.

"More like useless," another cackled.

They were supposed to be his allies, his teammates. Showing no mercy, her previously hidden clones grabbed them from underground, yanking them down until all they could see were their heads. The guy who'd died by his own katana had been a Kumo-nin, but the two she was currently standing over threateningly were Kiri-nin.

"Some alliance," she spat in return, pulling the bloody katana from the Kumo-nin's chest. "You're supposed to protect your allies. Fight alongside them." Holding out the katana, she growled, "You _don't_ laugh over their dying bodies and make their last moments more painful than what they already are."

The pair glared up at her viciously, one already halfway through spitting something nasty at her, but they were both silenced by the swinging of the katana, by the slitting of their throats.

"There's too many," Kakashi told her, their backs touching suddenly. Luckily for her (and him), it didn't disturb her balance too greatly. She was used to fighting in ridiculous heels now. "What do you suggest we do?"

They needed Naruto's progress, his control over the Kyuubi, to remain a secret. Asking him to use the Kyuubi's chakra to defeat them wasn't an option, for they needed that upper hand at a later date, especially now that they'd gotten all the evidence they needed to return to their Hokage. Kiri and Kumo had formed an alliance against them. They'd infiltrated Konoha to try and steal and gather as much information as possible for an oncoming battle.

They were going to war.

"Retreat," ordered Sakura. It wasn't something she was proud of, but she knew they had no choice. They had to return to the village. "But take two of them with us for interrogation."

Meeting Sasuke's hard eyes across the street, she nodded once to him, grateful that he immediately understood and went straight for the superiors of the Kiri-nin and Kumo-nin. There was no hesitation as he placed them under his strongest genjutsu, hitting them beforehand for good measure. As soon as they were secured, Naruto threw a smoke bomb to the ground, creating four clones that resembled them down to the finest detail and leaving them to fight with some kind of wasted strategy while they escaped.

* * *

"I have spoken with Kakashi and Obito about my plans and they both agree wholeheartedly," he explained to him. "Do you?"

Honestly, Itachi was in shock. He wasn't entirely sure how to process the words that had come from his Hokage's mouth only minutes before. The emotion he was experiencing was intense, he noted. Akin to pride – only stronger. Disbelief was definitely thrown in there somewhere, along with… Itachi wasn't sure. He simply couldn't believe it.

He was–

To have come so far–

He spun on his heel quickly, weapons drawn and sharingan activated as the doors to his Hokage's office were kicked straight off their hinges. It seemed the team had forgotten to announce themselves or at the very least release their flawless holds on hiding their chakra. Annoyance was forgotten, however, at the sight of them all. They were bloody, bodies bruised and shaking from the efforts of battle and running home. What stunned him the most wasn't their injuries or the unconscious men laying at their feet, though.

No, he was far more concerned with why his lover was only wearing Sasuke's shirt and the heels he _knew_ she saved for certain missions.

"What happened?" he asked before Minato could do so, putting away his kunai and deactivating his sharingan. Itachi was too concerned to scold himself, however. That could wait until later. Approaching her, he took in her appearance once more, thankful that his robe hid the faint trembling of his hands. What had they done to her? "Sakura."

"Nothing like that happened," she murmured, but it was instantly noted how she couldn't look him in the eye.

"It's a highly classified mission." Sasuke stunned him by coming to her defence. "We can't tell you about it."

Oh. So his foolish younger brother was trying to annoy him in the same way he had Sasuke all those years ago? Constantly ignoring him to go on missions? Never explaining where he was or why he was gone for so long? Itachi raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He couldn't tell them he was a secret adviser of the Hokage, or that he would be informed on what happened either way. No, his lips were sealed. They had to keep the second council and ANBU squads a secret from the ordinary council, as their Hokage had reason to believe they could not be trusted. How or why was unsure. But they were close to a discovery. Itachi could taste it.

"Forgive me, Itachi-san," Minato told him with a smile. "We will continue with our conversation after."

"No."

They were stunned by the authority in Sakura's voice, in the determination of her eyes as she stared up at him. Instead of paying attention to anyone else, she focused solely on him.

"If we're going to war, we need our best to be informed," she said seriously. "We need you back on duty, Itachi."

* * *

She'd taken him by surprise. Taken them all by surprise. But what was said had needed to be said, because in all honesty, it was the truth. Itachi was too young and too talented to remain within the walls of his clan's district. They needed his strength and intelligence for the war, as something was bugging her, nagging away in the back of her mind that they'd yet to witness his full potential. The eyes were one thing. The strength, too. His intelligence, on the other hand, was something entirely different and altogether, Kiri and Kumo had a troublesome opponent on their hands.

Later, Sakura would tell him about her mission. Would tell him how she had to strip down for a target. It would upset him, no doubt about it. Any boyfriend in their right mind would be bothered by the news of their girlfriend stripping for another person. She'd be heartbroken if it was the other way around.

Did she tell him?

No, she was not going to be a coward. She had to tell him. There would be no more secrets or lies in their relationship.

Looking behind her lover, Sakura told Minato with a stern expression, "You know I'm right, Hokage-sama. If it was just one of the other villages, then it wouldn't be necessary, especially now that Kiri have lost their tailed beast. But we have two of them against us now – two powerful villages with two jinchūriki who are in full control of their tailed beasts."

"There's no guarantee they'll use them-"

Naruto's naïve exclamation was cut off smoothly by Sasuke, who muttered in response, "_We_ have two jinchūriki – two versions of the Kyuubi, no less. They won't take any chances."

"Yeah, but only one of us are in control of the Kyuubi," he countered smugly, arms folding behind his head and he grinned. "We-"

"Arrogance will always be a shinobi's downfall, Naruto-kun." Itachi glanced over at him languidly, raising an eyebrow. "Remember that."

Before an argument could break out, Sakura stepped between them, demanding Itachi's full attention be on her as she stared up at him seriously. "Well?"

The clearing of a throat had her suddenly remembering her place, green eyes going wide and a heavy blush staining her cheeks when she met the expectant gaze of her Hokage. If she wasn't mistaken, he seemed amused, too. "Not that I disagree," Minato said, smirking but then quickly growing serious. "Itachi-san is the patriarch of his clan now, Sakura-chan. It isn't as simple as putting him back on duty."

Once more seeming arrogant, Naruto stated loudly, "That's what Sasuke's for, Dad. If Itachi dies, Sasuke can take over-"

It was almost without her knowledge that she punched the blond straight back out of the office, growling, "Shut the hell up."

"Either way, we cannot risk the life of the patriarch–"

"What if I insisted?" Itachi interjected smoothly. "As Sakura stated: my skills are needed, Hokage-sama. If the war is brought to our village, then I will have no choice but to step up and lead my clan as we defend Konoha, but preferably, the war should be elsewhere to keep our own casualties to a minimum."

"Will that really be okay, Itachi-san?" questioned Minato with a frown. "Your clan relies on you."

"What kind of leader would it make me if I send my clansmen to fight on a battlefield but don't fight alongside them?"

_That_ was what she meant. His reasoning. His way of thinking. It helped clear her mind of sentimentality – not entirely, of course, but just enough to understand what needed to happen. Enough to power her through. Then, once the dirty work was over, she was allowed time to cry and put the pieces of her heart back together, though not a second too early, not when her village needed her to be strong.

"Kakashi?"

The Copy-Nin sighed at his former sensei's questioning tone. "I'm afraid I stand with Itachi-san on this, Hokage-sama."

"I will speak with the elders," Itachi informed him. "They will have no choice but to understand once they have heard me out."

And even if they didn't understand, Sakura had a feeling Itachi would fight anyway. Nothing would stop him from protecting Konoha, a voice in the back of her mind whispered.

He would always be Konoha's Uchiha Itachi before anything else.

* * *

"Explain."

Trust Uchiha Itachi to demand answers rather than question her calmly. Oh, he'd been relaxed (if not a little bit cold) during the walk back to her apartment, appearing normal to those around them, but as soon as they entered her home, the pretence had dropped and he'd turned to face her, features devoid of emotion.

Sighing, Sakura made her way over to her bedroom, smiling somewhat when she sensed him lingering in the living room and granting her the privacy she needed to change. Most men, when questioning their lovers about what had happened to them, would've followed after them even if it meant invading their privacy. But not Itachi. For that, she was grateful.

"I had to strip as part of my mission," she informed him quietly and held her breath for a moment, hesitating in grabbing her clean clothes. There was no sound from her living room and due to her door being half shut, she couldn't see him at all. "There was no time to put my clothes back on before I was attacked."

The silence lasted long enough for her to get changed and dump Sasuke's sweatshirt into the laundry basket, heels being returned to the bottom of her wardrobe. Her teammate knew already he wouldn't see it again – it was comfier than hers, making it a great nightshirt. Upon entering the living room, she found Itachi sitting on the sofa patiently and she immediately had his attention when she returned, his eyes meeting hers.

"Were you harmed?"

Smiling faintly at his quiet voice, she sat beside him, her leg shifting further onto the sofa so that she could face him fully. "During the battle: yes. Sexually: no."

Itachi breathed out a small, relieved sigh and nodded once.

"But…"

Instantly, his eyes met hers and she suddenly felt like it was a situation where she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. What would happen once she told him about her mission? She had seduced that man. There was no getting around it. No brushing it off like it didn't mean anything. She had promised to protect Itachi's heart and by seducing another man, she had more or less trampled on it.

To try and block out his face, Sakura shut her eyes, but opened them a moment later when she realised it would do no good to ignore his pain. It would make her feel even worse, like she was blowing it off as nothing.

"In order to gain the information we needed, I had to-" The realisation on his quickly emptying features had her cutting herself off and Sakura reached out to him without another thought, grabbing his arm. "Nothing happened. I didn't touch him and he didn't touch me. But I _did_ strip."

He nodded but didn't say anything. His jaw clenched and unclenched, eyes never leaving hers for a moment as he waited for her to finish her story.

Sighing, Sakura continued quietly, saying, "The man's name was Kohaku and he…" She had to look away, willing away the stinging of her eyes. She couldn't cry. Not over another man while confessing to her lover she'd stripped for him. "He was completely innocent and I got him killed due to my own stupidity. Instead of waiting and finding a better target, someone who fit the role more perfectly, I went for the first shinobi I could find and-"

"You had no way of knowing, Sakura," he cut in gently. "You have had no real training in that area. The only experience you have in seduction is the mission a few months back. That is all."

Why was he comforting her? "Itachi-"

"If you say nothing happened, then I will believe you," Itachi murmured, coaxing her to meet his eyes with careful hands. "I had a bad habit of not trusting you many times in the past, Sakura. I will admit, it hurts to think of another seeing you undressed." He sighed then. "But I will trust your words."

He…

Before he could stop her, she lunged at him, arms wrapping around him tightly with her face pressed to his neck, breathing out shakily when he returned her hold. It was a big step for him. As Itachi had already said: he previously distrusted a lot she said. He would always overthink everything that happened or anything she said. But now he was trying his hardest to trust her with his heart.

She smiled brightly despite her tears.

* * *

They awoke in the early hours of the morning, the sudden presence outside her window rousing them. Knowing that she needn't worry (if it was an enemy, they would've attacked while they were waking up, using their tiredness to their advantage), she remained in bed, shifting the sheets to cover her chest while watching her lover dress himself.

"It is Neji-san," Itachi informed her. Glancing over his shoulder, he assessed Sakura's appearance before throwing the robe on the back of her door over to her. "I am inviting him in."

If it involved ANBU, they had to make sure nobody was listening in. Sighing, she got out of bed, risking a brief glance at Itachi's features and smirking at the look in his eyes. He didn't even try to hide his passion or lust, but what really warmed her heart was when he stepped forward and tied the robe for her, his gaze softening and hands gentle.

Kissing her forehead, he turned and allowed Neji entry. He was dressed in full uniform but once the window was shut and Itachi placed a barrier around the room, he removed the mask – not that his own expression was any better. It was just as cold and unreadable.

"Forgive me for the intrusion," he murmured and she was grateful for his professionalism, how his eyes never strayed from either of theirs. "However, Hokage-sama has received new information on the issue you shared with him, Sakura."

Her heart stopped.

"Sai."

Itachi looked down at her, eyebrows knitting together. "What about Sai-san?"

Neji glanced between them, probably wondering why she hadn't already told their former captain about Sai's behaviour or her paranoia. Biting her lip, she walked over to her dresser and retrieved the sketchbook from her pouch, handing it over to them on the final page.

_Thank you, friend._

"When did this happen?" Itachi asked, growing more serious as he skimmed through the sketchbook, taking in the disturbing pictures but pausing briefly when the scenery shifted, spending longer on each page as he noticed the difference in the art, in the happier tone. "You received this at the hospital, correct?"

Guilt wrapped around her tightly and she nodded. "I didn't have the chance to look at it."

Sensing her worry, he sighed, closing the book and handing it back. "Do not blame yourself, Sakura."

"But what if he's been hurt?" she demanded weakly. "What if he's…?"

"Whatever has happened, you wouldn't have been able to change it," Neji informed her, hard expression cracking somewhat. "You were physically and mentally unwell, Sakura. Even if you had noticed it sooner, you weren't in the right frame of mind."

It didn't make her feel any better. Clutching the book tightly and holding it to her chest, she asked, "What's the news?"

"Hokage-sama received a scroll from a farmer outside of Konoha," he said almost reluctantly, like he no longer wanted to share the news. "The farmer wished to contact him about the discovery of a Konoha-nin's body."

* * *

The entire journey felt surreal to her. It had her stomach in knots, had her heart palpitating and throat constricting.

The old squad was back together – minus one member, who she was desperately hoping was holed away in his apartment and working on his next sketchbook. He just couldn't be the one whose body was found. Already, the guilt she felt was suffocating her. She should have noticed the book sooner instead of allowing everything else to have her full attention. The world couldn't stop just because she was having problems.

Glad that she was wearing her mask, she felt no shame in the tears slipping soundlessly down her cheeks. Itachi was leading the way to the area where the body had been found. It wasn't far from the farm – according to the farmer, he was walking with his dogs when they found the body, something that was done regularly to ensure nothing was lurking and waiting to attack his animals. Couldn't have been more than a mile or so from the farm, he'd said. After noticing Konoha's insignia, he'd contacted the Hokage, understanding he'd want his shinobi returned to him before anybody could steal the secrets within their bodies.

_It's not him_, she told herself again. _It's not Sai._

She wanted to say they couldn't trust the farmer, couldn't trust that it wasn't some sort of ploy to get one of the best squads out of Konoha for an ambush. She knew it wasn't true, though. The farmer did a lot of trade with Konoha – no, he did all his trade with Konoha. To go against them was suicide. It would kill his farm, which was only three miles from their village, and it would kill _him_ due to no funds to live on. By giving them the information, he was showing his loyalty to Konoha.

_Sai…_

It surprised her when a hand reached out for hers, holding on firmly in a show of support. She didn't acknowledge Shisui other than the returning pressure (not that she would've been able to with her mask on, anyway).

"Up ahead," came Neji's quiet warning.

It made her stomach sink that there was nothing more said, that he didn't say it wasn't Sai. With his byakugan, he could see many things. He also knew his teams to the finest details.

He knew who it was.

And as they came to a sudden stop on several different branches, Sakura didn't hesitate in jumping down to the ground and removing her mask, dropping it to the ground as she took in the sight of the body with wide tear filled eyes.

There he was.

Covered in dirt and leaves, soaked to the bone from whatever rain they'd had. From the state of his body, with a medical eye, she could tell he'd been there for at least a few weeks, possibly even a month and it had bile rising in her throat.

That was her friend laying there.

"Sai."

There was a traitorous shake in her limbs and voice as she lowered herself to her knees beside him, clutching his stiff, blood covered hand in both of hers as she brought it close, squeezing her eyes shut and ignoring the awful stench and feeling of his decaying body. Behind her, she felt the team react in their own ways, but didn't bother looking at them.

"He died out here… _alone_," she whispered brokenly. Hard green eyes glanced up, meeting the sombre gazes of her former teammates. "Sai was our teammate – our _friend_ and he died out here in the cold, alone."

"And we will find out who did this," Itachi responded seriously before kneeling opposite her, pausing for a moment as he gently shut Sai's sightless eyes. "I promise you, Sakura, whoever did this will not go unpunished."

The weight of his words, the seriousness of his expression and pain in his eyes, told her that it was a promise he intended to keep.

* * *

People were dropping like flies.

Wanting a distraction, Sakura had picked up a shift at the hospital, thanking her shishou repeatedly, but her thanks soon disappeared upon entering a certain patient's room, only to see that the woman was in an unstable condition.

"Satsuki-san," Sakura breathed out a heavy sigh while calling her name.

The woman's breathing was laboured, body too weak to hold her up. She was laying in the bed, no longer able to sit up. She couldn't even lift her arm, Sakura noticed sadly. Walking around the bed, she took Satsuki's hand, frowning worriedly at how cold she felt. Just a quick check of her pulse told her that Satsuki's heart rate was erratic and despite feeling so cold, she was sweating. If she wasn't mistaken…

"I'm going to examine you with my chakra, Satsuki-san," she informed her.

The woman couldn't reply, breathing growing raspier and Sakura was horrified to discover that her suspicions were correct: Satsuki had come down with pneumonia. Combined with her illness, it was undoubtedly fatal for her. She shut her eyes and released a shaky breath. How many more was she going to lose? Who would be next until the Gods were satisfied with her suffering?

Extracting her chakra, Sakura reached for the woman's notes, frowning thoughtfully as she surveyed the charts and notes. Her stats were considerably weaker, the decline in them making her heart ache. In her weakened state, her immune system wouldn't be strong enough to fight the pneumonia off, not even with the added assistance of medication and healing chakra.

It was only a matter of time.

"Would you like me to contact your family, Satsuki-san? Your husband? Children?"

Only a slow shake was her reply.

"Are you sure? I could get them-"

"N-No," she rasped, just barely managing to grab her lab jacket.

_She didn't want to be alone, but didn't want her family to see her in such a state_.

It was so Uchiha-like.

Why was someone who was terminally ill left alone in the first place? Had anyone even noticed that she was ill? They must have, because her bloodstream had antibiotics and healing chakra inside it, trying to help her. But why weren't they with her now? Damn it, why was she alone?

"Okay," she said quietly. "I'll stay."

She reached out behind her and hooked her foot around the chair's leg, pulling it forward until Sakura had somewhere to sit. It would be best if she stayed, anyway. If only to keep an eye on her. Grasping her cold hand between both of hers, she shut her eyes, willing away the horrible memory of holding Sai's in the same way only two hours ago.

"Tha…"

Green eyes snapped open and she instantly looked to the older woman, whose sightless gaze was now fixated on the ceiling and glaring light above her. "Satsuki-san?"

"Thank you," she managed to say after a few more seconds.

"Don't thank me," came her softly spoken reply. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit as much."

But the woman merely shook her head, fingers twitching in Sakura's hold like she was trying to return it. "You… remarkable woman." Breathing in deeply, she murmured, "Wish… could see the… difference." The next breath shuddered, hand shaking even when she tightened her hold around it, wordlessly offering her comfort. "Force to be… to be reckoned with. Great things… from you."

It was only three hours and twenty-one minutes later when Satsuki passed away and during that time, not a single medic came to check on her. What upset her more than anything was the fact that Sakura wasn't even supposed to be working that day, meaning Satsuki would have died alone in that hospital bed. Knowing that it would only cause more upset to her precious people, she had wanted to keep them away for her final moments, especially considering how painful they truly were. Her illness was one thing, but the added agony of pneumonia?

They would never know that their beloved wife, mother and grandmother would have died alone had it not been for her. They couldn't. It would break their hearts. At the same time, however, Sakura refused to have any other medic announce Satsuki's death but herself. Those medics had no right to inform the family of their loss like it actually meant something to them, not when they couldn't even be bothered to make sure just _one_ of them was there to offer comfort and support, to make sure her last moments weren't alone.

"Goodnight, Satsuki-san," Sakura whispered sadly, brushing the hair off her still face.

* * *

"So, she's dead."

The Uchiha turned her gaze from hers, eyebrows knitting together for a single moment before the expression smoothed out, leaving her to appear relaxed. She was dressed more casually than she usually was (when Sakura said casually, she meant more reserved – she couldn't help but wonder why the sudden change, however) and her hair was tied back instead of left down, the low ponytail almost touching the base of her spine in length.

"I'm not going to feel sad," she told Izumi when she realised there was nothing more to be said, green eyes focused on the grass between her legs. Reaching out, she plucked a single blade of grass from the soil, wrapping it around her finger. "Satsuki-san was…" She smiled. "She was like a grandmother, in a way. I only saw her during examinations or her stays in the hospital, but she'd always tell me stories and give me sweets, you know? She told me about her past and her life and…"

When Sakura trailed off, the Uchiha nodded, staring up at the bright blue sky. Her features were still relaxed, seemingly at peace. "Satsuki was a strong woman, one who always tried to see the best in a bad situation." Meeting her gaze, she added more quietly, "She would be disappointed if we allowed this to hold us down."

Sakura nodded, though there was no denying the ache in her heart. It was always difficult losing a patient, even more so when that patient made an impact on her life like Satsuki had. She was the one who pushed Sakura into making a difference, to changing her life if she was unhappy about it. She gave her the courage to continue fighting.

"I'm training her granddaughter," said Izumi suddenly and she leaned back onto her hands, attention going back to the sky as she squinted against the sun. "The one you saved."

Oh? "How's it going?"

She scoffed at that, amused. "Like I'd tell you, Weakling Haruno. I've heard you're looking for an apprentice."

"You want to compete with that, too?" she asked daringly and smirked. "You sure you want to do that, Damned Uchiha?"

"The kid is far more talented than I originally expected for someone like her." At Sakura's demanding silence, she continued, saying, "She is only quarter Uchiha, yet she can already use shadow clones and her sharingan. It's impressive even for a full blooded Uchiha, never mind her."

"Another potential prodigy, huh?" she mused. Frowning, she looked back to Izumi, quietly pleading, "Don't let her turn out like the others."

She nodded in return, expression serious and determined. After being such close friends with one of the prodigies of the Uchiha Clan, Sakura supposed she had every right to feel extra protective of the girl. "I have no intention of allowing that."

When Izumi stood and dusted off her pants, Sakura frowned up at her, asking, "Where are you going?"

"Unlike you, Weakling Haruno, I refuse to sit around and grow lazy." Raising an eyebrow at her, she then said, "I am training in the Forest of Death with my team."

Impressive. She smirked. "Watch out for the tigers. I heard they've been more aggressive than usual and I know you can't handle too much pressure."

There was a scoff before she turned on her heel, walking away and waving dismissively over her shoulder. "Those things will be my loyal pets by the end of the day."

* * *

"Now? Do you really think it's a good idea after a day like today, Itachi?" she couldn't help but ask worriedly. "If something goes wrong then I can't guarantee that I won't get angry or upset."

"Why would something go wrong?"

"Because I'm meeting your parents," Sakura snapped, just about able to keep up with his brisk pace towards the Uchiha District.

How he'd managed to dress her and actually get her out of her apartment, she wasn't entirely sure. One moment she was in sweats, reading a book and relaxing after an extremely trying day and then the next, Itachi was there, telling her to get ready for a formal announcement. Thinking it could possibly have something to do with the Hokage or something along those lines, she'd reached for her ANBU uniform, but was stopped when he held out a different outfit, telling her that her usual clothing was perfectly fine.

Now, she felt massively underdressed. Had she known it was a meeting with his parents, Sakura would have worn a kimono (an outfit that could never be seen as distasteful or revealing). Instead she was wearing a mini skirt, thigh high boots, a vest top and her haori.

"They're going to hate me," she whined.

"That is a lie and we both know it," came Itachi's swift response. "My parents are grateful for your presence in both their sons' lives, Sakura. They will not hate someone who is precious to their children."

Stupid blush, she inwardly snarled, but outwardly, there was no stopping her shy smile. "I'm precious to you?"

He slowed his pace and smirked down at her once they were side by side, saying, "One of the most precious people in my life."

Green eyes narrowed. "One of?"

There was a single nod.

Growling, Sakura grabbed his arm, demanding, "Who the hell is the other?"

"Sasuke."

He said it so matter-of-factly, like it should have been painfully obvious to her. How, Sakura wasn't entirely sure. Simply–

"Sakura," Itachi said more seriously and turned to face her, their walk ending outside his home. "You are _the_ most important woman in my life – I would say only, but my mother will grow jealous."

Oh. She chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

"Do not apologise," he told her. "Although please understand that I will never toy with your heart or betray you, Sakura. You are too important to me."

"And you're important to me, too," she replied quietly and then breathed in deeply, willing away the nervous butterflies. "It's the only reason why I'm agreeing to this after my day from hell."

Dark eyebrows knitted together, his eyes drifting to the house as he watched it closely. "Perhaps that is why we should introduce you to my parents today, despite the pain we are in. If it will restore even the smallest amount of hope within us, then it is more than enough reason to do this."

_We._

Damn it, how could she forget that Sai was his teammate too? Itachi had lost friends and teammates in the past and he continued to struggle with it every day. How was Sai's death affecting him? Damn it, why hadn't she thought to ask?

"You're sure they'll like me?"

Itachi smiled softly and reached out, fingertips grazing across her cheek before slipping into her hair. "I know they will."

All members of Itachi's family was home when they entered, all seated at the table like they'd been expecting them. Had her lover planned everything? Were they already aware of her being invited over? Oh, Sakura hoped so. She didn't like the thought of being uninvited, or her presence being unwelcome. It was uncomfortable for everyone.

Much to her relief, however, she was welcomed as warmly as an Uchiha could welcome another. It was stiffly on Fugaku's behalf, but Mikoto did her best to make up for it, immediately standing from her seat at the table and offering both her and Itachi tea.

"A clinic?" repeated the previous patriarch.

Sakura nodded once and smiled gratefully when a platter of fruit was placed onto the table. There was another beside it filled with freshly sliced tomatoes and she noticed how Sasuke's attention was instantly captured by it, only barely saying thank you to his mother before digging in. The sight of him in his home, where he now felt comfortable with his family, made it impossible for her to stop smiling and she noticed that Itachi was no different, his warm eyes occasionally drifting to his brother's relaxed slouch.

"For children affected by war or our lives in general," she explained after swallowing a mouthful of fruit. Unconsciously, she slid one of the smaller plates closer to Fugaku so that he could reach it easier, keeping her eyes on his bandages as she then said, "Fugaku-sama, how many lives do you think would be better off if the person had received guidance through their struggles?" At his silence, her smile returned. "Just because they're children, it doesn't mean they're not suffering and we're partly to blame for that suffering. Trying to ease their burden is the least I can do, right?"

"I think it is a wonderful idea," Mikoto commented before walking over to the sink, filling it with water.

It was only then that Sakura noticed the difference in the woman – she seemed lighter, her expression more open and while she wasn't looking, Sakura risked a glance at her lover and his brother, then to Fugaku. They were all at peace while sitting around the table and it was something that left her in a state of shock. Had it taken Fugaku losing his sight to accomplish the comfortable atmosphere around their home? Did it change his way of thinking, making him see life in a totally different light (metaphorically speaking, of course). Whatever it was, she was glad for it.

But of course, all good things had to come to an end in their world. It was as though shinobi were destined to be unhappy.

"Itachi."

She looked up in time to see the nod of understanding from the new patriarch, to see Mikoto come to a slow stop in washing the dishes. By her side, Sasuke frowned, seeming deeply troubled as he placed down his half eaten tomato.

"What's happening?" she asked quietly.

"Somebody has entered the district."

That was all? "And…?"

"They have been followed by platoons of highly skilled shinobi."

* * *

So, it had started already.

They appeared on top of the utility poles, hard eyes assessing the situation calmly until Sakura had to reach up and brush her hair aside, the wind attempting to use it to obscure her view. To their left, Shisui appeared out of seemingly nowhere, sharingan already activated.

"It's started," Shisui murmured, voice almost carried away with the wind. "One of them attempted to take me on in my own home." He looked over to them, his eyes appearing deadlier than ever due to the blood splattered across his face and neck. "I managed to extract some information before defeating him."

"And?" she questioned and looked back to the scene before her.

"It's ANBU."

ANBU? Green eyes were wide in shock and horror. The clan seemed to have the upper-hand, but how long would it last? Were they capable of keeping it? Was the attack everywhere or just the district? She couldn't hear anything from outside the walls. Crouching and shifting her foot, she prepared to vault off the pole and towards the nearest battle, but was stopped by his next words.

"Sakura, stop," Shisui ordered.

Itachi's eyes narrowed fractionally. "These are no ordinary ANBU operatives."

No ordinary ANBU operative? What was that supposed to mean? There couldn't be more than one–

A memory – an extremely distant memory – flashed in her mind for a split second, leaving her to feel numb when it was replaced with Sai's smile.

"ROOT," was all she could say.

"So it would seem," even while he said the words, her lover was dropping to the ground, surveying the battlefield with red and black eyes. The sight of them put the others at ease, shockingly and they immediately looked to him. "Evacuate the children, elderly and the vulnerable," Itachi ordered a group of his clansmen.

"Yes, Itachi-sama."

It was everywhere. It was horrible. The kunoichi were doing their best to evacuate those who were vulnerable, their bodies shielding attacks meant for the children. Said children were trying to take after their parents and fight back, trying to make some kind of resistance against the ANBU and Sakura felt her instincts take over as she witnessed an operative looming over a frightened but determined child, quickly intervening and landing a firm punch to the chest, taking the guy out.

"Get out of here," she demanded of the child, who could only nod in agreement before another kunoichi was grabbing his hand, yanking him out of the battle.

Taking her by surprise, the operative she'd punched climbed to his feet, only faltering for a second until he was standing straight. Even with his mask still in place, it felt as though their eyes were connected. Like he was staring her down. The guy was a beast, easily thrice her size in height and muscle, but she refused to be intimidated by him. She refused to back down from their staring competition.

The sight of their patriarch getting involved had the clansmen breaking apart from their fighting and coming to stand beside him, though leaving his side once they all realised Fugaku and Mikoto had joined them. They surrounded their previous patriarch and matriarch defensively, leaving only a single opening to allow Mikoto to view their son as he stood in front of them, willing to put his life on the line to protect them all.

Never once breaking eye contact, Sakura stepped back, taking her place by Itachi's side and a moment later, Shisui and Sasuke stood on each of their sides.

There were so many of them. Whoever had set it up clearly understood the threat of the Uchiha Clan. They clearly knew not to underestimate them.

"Explain," was all Itachi murmured.

His sharingan was intimidating to the point where it felt as though it was suffocating – and she wasn't even looking at it. It didn't help that both Shisui and Sasuke had theirs activated, too. Along with every other clansmen who'd managed to activate the sharingan. The anger in the air, the frustration and fear, was crushing down on her.

But she did not break under its weight.

"This is long overdue," said the giant operative she'd been staring down. Had he turned his attention on Itachi now? It didn't feel like it. She could feel his eyes on her. "The Uchiha Clan has disobeyed ROOT for the longest time."

"Disobeyed ROOT?" he repeated, the only muscles in his face moving belonging to his mouth. Everything else about him was cold, stony. Very much like the other clansmen. If she moved even a millimetre out of place, they would snap and lunge. They would attack. It felt as though someone was squeezing her heart and lungs mercilessly. "ROOT has been disbanded for many years now after the disappearance of your leader, Shimura Danzo. There was no ROOT to disobey."

Why did it feel as though she knew every little detail already? Why did it feel like those details were just out of her reach?

"There will always be ROOT," came his defiant reply.

There was a mixture of uniforms, Sakura noticed, her gaze narrowing fractionally. Did ROOT have their own uniforms? If so, how did they never notice them before? Wouldn't they want to blend–

Green eyes went wide.

"Kumo and Kiri ANBU," Sakura and Sasuke said simultaneously.

It was a full on invasion.

Itachi's eyes narrowed before he glanced over his shoulder, asking of a fellow Uchiha, "The vulnerable?"

"Izumi-san is leading the evacuation, Itachi-sama," she heard someone reply.

She would ensure everyone got to safety, Sakura knew. Izumi wasn't someone who did a half-assed job, especially not when it concerned innocent children. Itachi had told her that Izumi's personality wasn't all it was made out to be. Obito had informed her of the truth behind Izumi's techniques and how they were all for show to try and scare her enemies so that she didn't have to fight. She wasn't the bitch she made herself seem to be.

"Check that all homes are empty."

It was happening.

"Yes, Itachi-sama."

There was no avoiding it.

"Yet again the Uchiha Clan dares to defy us!"

Before Itachi could respond, Sakura gritted her teeth and shot forward, meeting the ROOT operative she'd been staring down head on. This one was a problem. He was strong, almost monstrously strong and able to get up after she'd punched him, but…

"Your strength is no match against mine," she growled lowly and caught his fist.

"You're not an Uchiha," he spat, struggling against her strength. "This doesn't have to involve you."

She clenched her left fist and risked a split-second glance at the Uchiha clansmen standing behind her. They were waiting on Itachi's orders, crowding around Fugaku and Mikoto, who'd both demanded to be there. It was obvious from their features that they believed if the clan was going down, then they would go down with it. Like a captain with his ship.

"Like hell it does," she said harshly in return.

Pushing more of her weight into the battle of strengths, Sakura suddenly let go and flooded her leg with chakra, using his loss of balance to land a devastating kick to the chest. The ROOT operative was blown several metres back, bouncing down into the ground before he came to an abrupt halt when his upper body was buried in the dirt, spine snapping.

_Try getting up from that one, bastard._

"If you want this clan, you'll have to go through me first, shannaro!"

Her words seemed to strengthen the others' resolve and they ran forward like she'd actually spoken a command, yelling out their battle cries and gripping their weapons, sharingan activated and spinning wildly. In response, the ROOT operatives rushed forward, all stoic and eerily silent, weapons drawn and their numbers filling her with dread as Sakura realised they were seriously outnumbered.

"Sakura."

Nodding once and realising his plan with a single glance into his eyes, she grabbed her lover's arm, spinning once and launching him into the air with as much strength as possible, giving him a full view of the battlefield.

And in just a few short seconds, blood was coming from his eyes as they swirled into the mangekyō design, several of the operatives _screamed_ in pure agony as black flames engulfed them. It didn't offer much, only taking down ten out of the hundreds that were there, but it scared them. It put them on edge.

And so they targeted his weaknesses.

One made a go for Mikoto, who was standing defensively in front of her husband.

Sakura's eyes went wide and she reached to her hip, grabbing her gift from Team Gai that she'd masked as a belt with the use of a henge.

"Like I'd let you," she snarled and swung her arm, whip lashing out and wrapping around the enemy's neck. With a strong tug, he was flying towards her at an unstoppable speed, slamming into her left fist.

Sasuke nodded his thanks and drew closer to his parents, muttering something to them that she couldn't hear until Sakura decided she was better off staying close to them, too. Fugaku was vulnerable. In all honesty, he should've been forced to go with the others like anyone else would've been forced to.

It was total chaos. There was so much happening all at once, so she busied herself with taking out any operative who came near the former leaders of the Uchiha Clan. Neither side seemed to have the upper hand from what she could tell, as they were each losing people.

But the enemies gained the upper hand when reinforcements arrived via a summoning jutsu, some coming in from the sky while others shot forward from clouds of smoke. All were ready to attack and she flinched at the sounds of the clansmen's screams, her hand instinctively going to Mikoto's arm to still her as she moved to assist them, eyes going wide as she sensed an attack heading straight for them.

And suddenly, somebody was appearing in the centre of them all, his body coated in an orange-red chakra that took the form of what could only be described as a chakra beast. It had the other clansmen taking a step back, had them watching their patriarch proudly, with obvious approval.

He didn't raise a hand. Didn't bat an eyelash.

"Susanoo," Itachi muttered.

It shielded them from the attack, giving Sakura the chance to stare up at her lover in awe. When had he developed such a defensive jutsu? The same went for the black fire, too. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, but at the same time, it all felt so eerily familiar, giving her a feeling of déjà vu.

All Itachi had to do was move his arm to the side and his Susanoo began its assault. From her position, she couldn't see it all too clearly, but whatever it was, it had his clansmen wisely retreating as buildings and homes were destroyed. Some of them lingered to make sure their enemies would be captured in the attack, uncaring that it meant their own demise to do so.

Breathing out deeply to calm her nerves, for it was all bringing back the memories of when she and Itachi faced hundreds alone, Sakura's hands flew through the hand signs for the summoning jutsu and within seconds, a humongous version of Katsuyu was appearing.

Everything seemed so small while they were so high up, but Sakura paid little attention to those behind her. The view from above allowed Itachi to target more enemies and he acted quickly, using his black flames once more. This time, it hit more targets, his estimations growing more accurate the longer he used the technique. Following his brother's example, Sasuke held out his left hand, narrowing his eyes in concentration until it sounded like thousands of birds were screaming all around them. He leaped off Katsuyu's head, going straight back into the battle with a furious glare.

"Sakura-chan," she gasped in shock.

"Katsuyu-sama, please proceed to attach yourself to each loyal Konoha-nin here," Sakura ordered, her hands coming together tightly in the hand sign for the immense network healing. Glancing over her shoulder, she told Mikoto, "Keep a hold of Fugaku-sama, Mikoto-sama. We're going to drop."

"Yes, Sakura-chan," the two said in unison, just in time for Katsuyu to separate, leaving them to drop fifty or so feet. It didn't surprise her in the least when she noticed that both Fugaku and Mikoto were blank faced, like they hadn't moved a single centimetre. Their composure was flawless, she thought with great envy.

"We don't stand a chance," she heard someone cry out. The guy was young – probably around fifteen, she guessed. Unlike the other boys his age who were fighting valiantly, he was shaking, his eyes wide with fear. He was rooted in his spot. "We're all gonna die."

"You're wrong."

The new voice had her spinning on her heel, had her eyes going wide as she caught sight of their backup. The man standing at the very front was a proud looking man, his soft brown hair allowed to hang around his pale face, byakugan activated just like the rest of his clansmen's were.

"Assist the Uchiha Clan," Neji ordered of his clansmen, hand going out to the side to signal at those at the back.

And just like that, they obeyed, pairing up with the Uchiha clansmen like it was the most natural thing in the world to do, rekindling Sakura's hope. She caught sight of Itachi's faint smile, her own mirroring it as their eyes met for the briefest of seconds.

"Itachi!" came Mikoto's sudden yell of terror, voice cracking with the loudness, and she was already rushing towards her eldest child.

It took Sakura a few moments longer to realise what was about to happen, took her far too long to realise her lover's life was about to be cut short by the large enemy team closing in on him. If she wasn't mistaken, they were also skilled in fūinjutsu. That was going to be their plan B if they couldn't defeat him, she realised with building dread. They were about to try plan A and if that failed, then they went to B while he was distracted. Either that or they were going to seal away his sharingan.

She was much faster than Mikoto, she noted, already breezing past the former matriarch and Sakura sucked in a sharp breath as she threw herself in front of Itachi, arms outstretched as she prepared herself for the attack, but somebody else took their places as she skidded to a halt several feet in front of them, red and black eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Do your worst, bastard," Izumi snarled.

It felt like time slowed down and Sakura reached out weakly, eyes widening with horror as blood splattered the ground and her hands, as Izumi stumbled against the onslaught and coughed up a horrifying amount of blood.

* * *

_But Ino had always been faster than her._

_So all she was able to do was watch in pure terror as Ino skidded to a halt in front of her teammates, a cry of pain escaping her clenched teeth as the force of the blow flung her backwards and closer to her team._

_Sakura hadn't even seen the attack coming. All she saw was the blurred movement of Dei's hands._

_And in that moment, she felt as though time itself had stopped._

_Vaguely, she heard Shikamaru and Choji screaming Ino's name, saw them running towards the blonde as she fell motionlessly to the ground, but she was unable to do anything other than stare with wide eyes. The horror stuck on her face was unable to be pushed away, just like the numb feeling that suddenly blanketed over her._

_Dead._

_Her best friend was dead._

* * *

"No," Sakura all but screamed, her body shaking as she lunged forward and caught Izumi just as her legs gave out on her. The beautiful Uchiha's face was contorted in pain with blood smeared across her mouth and dripping down her chin. "Stay with me, Izumi."

Itachi fell to his knees beside them, eyes wide and fixed on hers. "Izumi, you…"

Her hand clasped his tightly without hesitation and the look in her eyes, despite the agony she was in, was fierce. "M-More… than my own… life, Itachi-kun. Always."

He nodded numbly, seeming to understand clearly what she was saying despite seeming so out of it and Sakura bit her lip, her hands splaying out over the woman's chest as green chakra enveloped them.

"S-Sakura," Izumi gazed up at her, her sharingan fading to brown. "I'm glad you… won."

"Shut up," she snarled in return. Her head shook quickly, hair whipping around her features. "You're not dying. Not you."

_Not again._

"What if it's… w-what I want?"

"Then that's too bad, you selfish-"

"Sakura."

"No," she yelled and the green healing chakra strengthened with her resolve, the tears in her eyes falling without her permission. "You're not dying, Ino!"

"I-Ino?" the Uchiha woman repeated weakly. Then, she chuckled, but that soon stopped when a mouthful of blood left her with a horrendous cough, completely covering the lower half of her face and splattering other parts of her skin. "I know y-you're… screwed up, W-Weakling Haruno, but… at least get my name right."

_Stop the bleeding._

_Stop the bleeding._

_Stop the bleeding!_

The trembling of her body was unmistakable, even to a quickly fading Izumi who stared up at her with a suddenly gentle gaze, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Take care of Itachi-kun, Sakura," she quietly pleaded.

A half-sob left her and Sakura glanced up at Itachi quickly, unsurprised to find that he was in a state of shock. Watery green eyes returned to Izumi and she shook her head. "You're going to help me."

"Idiot." Her eyes went wide at Izumi's insult. "I knew I would never…" Her teeth gritted. "I've been training you. Every time I goaded you, I-I was testing your limits and each time… we got further and further." Still, they remained stunned and it pushed her patience to its limit, a pained grimace twisting her features when she fought against the agony her body was in. "The future matriarch cannot be weak! Don't you dare drag this clan down, Haruno Sakura. You are not a weak woman, so quit acting like one."

"Y-You're right," she whispered, swallowing hard like that alone could help her fight against the paralysing fear and anxiety blooming in her chest. "You're not Ino." The releasing of her seal finally brought Itachi out of his shock, had his eyes snapping to hers, a warning already on his tongue, but she interrupted him without a care, telling Izumi, "I couldn't do anything to save Ino. But unlike back then, I can do something this time."

"Sakura," Izumi murmured and she stared up at her languidly, her gaze soon following the seal as it connected to her own skin, covering the pair of them completely. "Do not-"

"You're my rival now, so you need to live, Izumi," Sakura said fiercely. "You're _going to live."_

The older woman's expression was one of utter shock and disbelief, her brown eyes regaining their light after Sakura had activated her shishou's infamous Sōzō Saisei jutsu. Like she had known it would: it healed all Izumi's wounds without hesitation. It mended the skin that would have no doubt scarred horribly, leaving it as smooth as it had been prior to the attack. It even rid the Uchiha of her headache from overusing the sharingan.

Sadly, it couldn't stop her from fainting after overusing the sharingan and once she had passed out, Itachi sighed, his forehead dropping to Sakura's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered in a low, barely steady voice. Coming back to himself like it was a switch he could access easily, Itachi sat up straight, his eyes hardening as he glanced over at a group of his clansmen. "Take her to the evacuation shelter."

"Yes, Itachi-sama," one of them said, nodding quickly.

"Shall we take your parents, also?" another asked.

He didn't look in their direction. Didn't bat an eyelash. "Yes."

"Itachi-" his father began, obviously angry.

"You are both in the way," Itachi muttered in response and stood easily, holding out his hand to Sakura. She was slower in standing, waiting until the other Uchiha had a secure hold of Izumi before she joined her lover. "Go to the hospital, Sakura," he ordered. "They will need you."

She felt the same indignation as his parents, her expression twisting with anger. "You-"

"You are capable of healing _and_ protecting them," he continued smoothly, only sparing a glance over his shoulder towards those who had harmed Izumi. It only took a glance of his sharingan to have them all freezing in their places, but Sakura was surprised when they collapsed a second later, not a single one of them moving. He didn't look back at her. "Go, Sakura."

Reluctantly, she followed his order.

* * *

Good timing, Sakura thought, her roundhouse kick sending the enemy far enough to cause his comrades to second guess their plan of attack. There were too many of them, too many for her to even count and it seemed they'd been anticipating _some_ monstrous strength, just not two lots of it.

The battles were everywhere and it was a good thing she'd listened to Itachi in the end, she realised as many medics left the hospital behind her with her shishou leading the way, wearing a stony expression and fists clenched, haori floating behind her until she came to a stop beside Sakura.

"Thanks for coming," the blonde said, though didn't look at her. Honey brown eyes didn't leave the huge number of enemies for a second, too busy calculating and coming up with strategies. A second later and she gritted her teeth, admitting under her breath, "The patients are still in there."

It honestly felt as though her heart was about to fall out of her body.

_There wasn't time to evacuate the patients._

So Sakura stood side by side with Tsunade, both glaring ahead of themselves and arms folding over their chests. It was a sign of peace, of not wanting confrontation, but it did not mean they weren't prepared to defend what they held dear.

They would take the bastards down, or go down swinging.

Behind them, the other medics stood defensively, hands by their sides and itching to speed through the hand signs necessary to protect their hospital. Even if they were just medics in others' eyes, even if they couldn't fight on the front lines like she and Tsunade could, they were not to be underestimated. Not when they had something they needed to protect at all costs.

_It was their hospital._

_They would die to save their patients._


	51. And Then I Heard You Flatline

**Chapter 51**

**And Then I Heard You Flatline**

* * *

"Neji-nii-san!"

It was a horrific battle – no, it was a slaughter, or would have been, had it not been for their intervention. Thanks to their watchmen, they had noticed immediately when the Uchiha Clan was being attacked and in response, their patriarch was quick to summon his strongest fighters, deploying them to the Uchiha District to back the clan up. The rest were scattered throughout the village, watching for the next attack they knew would soon arrive. Hiashi himself had gone straight to the Hokage to deliver the message, knowing it was of the utmost importance.

He nodded once. "I know." Suddenly, Neji came to a standstill, his eyes darting over to the right and narrowing dangerously and by his side, Hinata did the same. It was a shame Hanabi was not with them. The battle would have been a great learning experience for her. "You can't hide anything from my byakugan." He turned to face the man fully. "Explain how you managed to get a hold of my clansman's eye."

"Since it's still active… It is a head family member's eye," Hinata murmured. "If you are not a member of the head family, then your eyes are sealed away with your death."

Again, Neji's eyes narrowed. The man was a Kiri-nin, but he knew that he was more than just a jōnin. That man was ANBU, making him a troublesome opponent.

"I defeated your clansman," came his reply. "I took a souvenir."

A souvenir? Despite not showing any outward reaction, Neji felt himself bristle at his words. In his mind he was going through the Bingo Book, recalling each and every face he'd forced himself to learn until it finally clicked. The man's name was Ao, if he was not mistaken and yes, he was ANBU. Not only that, but he was the Mizukage's guard. Adding the byakugan to the mix (if Ao had mastered it) made him a deadly opponent.

Both his own and Hinata's eyes narrowed as they picked up on the activating of Ao's byakugan. They couldn't see it due to the eye patch, but they could sense it.

They could only hope he hadn't mastered it.

"Hinata-sama, you will be my backup," Neji informed her. Just as it would have been a learning experience for Hanabi, their future leader, it was a learning experience for Hinata, too. She was unused to multiple opponents at a time, unused to such a chaotic battle. It could class as continuing their training, in fact. "Follow up any attack of mine with one of your own. Do not let your guard down."

"Yes, Neji-nii-san."

Fortunately for him, she'd soon grown serious when it came to their training, pushing aside the blushing, stuttering child and replacing it with a strong willed, determined warrior.

He couldn't have been more proud of his cousin.

Rushing forward, Neji focused on Ao's chakra points, not surprised in the least to find there were no openings to attack them. Now that he could see them, Ao would be on guard to protect them. That also meant he could see _theirs_, but would he have been able to create or learn any jutsu to shut them down? That was Neji's real question. Did they have to worry about such an attack? It would be best to assume that they did.

Since there were no openings, it was an attack or retreat situation, so he wasted no time in lunging, his palms humming with chakra as Neji began his assault. Like he'd been expecting: Ao expertly dodged the attacks. Then, Hinata came in from above, her Jūho Sōshiken finally perfected. Neji made sure to be out of the way as she spun and swung for Ao, already aware of the fact that, should he be hit, it would put him out of the battle instantly. Not only had Hinata perfected the technique, but they'd been working on making it more powerful.

After all, she wished to stand beside Uzumaki Naruto, she had told him once. She needed to up her game then, was what he replied with, for Uzumaki lived in a world of constant attacks. He could not have someone holding him back or becoming a liability.

Smirking proudly as she managed to clip Ao, Neji took over, allowing her a quick breather as he followed up on her attack. They could not allow Ao to use any of his jutsu. From what he could remember of his page in the Bingo Book, he had many deadly jutsu up his sleeve, despite being a sensory type more than anything.

They were lucky in the fact he hadn't mastered the byakugan, the two Hyuuga agreed with a single glance. It was obvious when comparing theirs to his.

"Now, Hinata-sama."

She nodded once.

Strengthening their stances, they stood side by side, eyes narrowed as they threw their palms forward, using the Hakke Kūhekishō to knock Ao off balance before Hinata darted forward, beginning her Hakke Rokujūyon Shō.

_Do it, _he silently encouraged. _Do not hesitate this time._

Sadly, she faltered upon entering the final stage and Neji gritted his teeth as he noticed Ao somehow summon the strength to weave several hand signs, stunning them as he managed to summon enough chakra to create his jutsu.

_Make it,_ Neji begged of himself, rushing forward with widening eyes.

_Make it!_

The wave of water was already darting towards his wide eyed cousin, her uncertainty returning and rendering her motionless. The sixty-four palm technique had pushed Ao back, creating distance between him and them. Would he make it? Neji sent more chakra to his feet, demanding himself to move faster. If anything should happen to her…

He came to a skidding halt in front of her, silently demanding her to stay still as he muttered,_ "Hakkeshō Kaiten."_

It seemed he would have to go at full strength after all. For Ao to be able to use his chakra after Hinata had targeted his chakra points… Neji narrowed his eyes on the man who stared back calmly. A clone, perhaps? Had he switched at some point without their knowledge? If he had, how did they miss that? There was only one occasion where such a thing had happened to Neji in the past: the chūnin exams, in his battle against Uzumaki. Since then, he liked to believe there was no slipping through his vision.

Ao was out of Hinata's league, he decided. By his side, the fight would not be so bad. But he couldn't say for certain that her attacks would make any difference, for while he hoped Ao had not used a clone, if he hadn't, then that made him a more troublesome opponent than Neji earlier anticipated.

Although, saying that…

It wasn't impossible to reopen the chakra points, though doing so _was_ known to cause problems down the line. To reopen them with force was damaging in the same way as a leaking dam trying to stop a flood. Eventually, the water was going to burst through.

"If sixty-four wasn't enough…"

Ao's eye narrowed.

Before his hands could even begin to move to start another jutsu, however, Neji sprang forward, already beginning his attack.

"_Hakke Hyaku Nijūhasshō!"_

How about one hundred and twenty-eight?

If it was a clone it would have disappeared after the first strike, Neji told himself. Unlike Hinata's attack, which was levelled to ensure she did not exhaust herself (in hopes she would make it through all sixty-four palms), he always went at full strength with this particular attack. If he was forced to use it, then it meant there were either too many enemies for him to handle or the enemy was just that powerful.

He would no longer underestimate Ao if he continued to stand by the end of his attack.

"Sixty-four," he muttered to himself, hands moving faster, eyes glued to Ao's form as he was forced backwards, as many who witnessed their battle wisely moved out of their way. Neji noticed his clansmen pause long enough to assess the battle, to look on with proud, envious eyes, but he paid them no mind. He already knew the members of the side branch wished he would become the next patriarch, despite it being impossible. "One hundred and twenty-eight!" Narrowing his eyes, he muttered as his attack was drawing to a close, "You may have the byakugan, but you cannot use it to its maximum because you are not a Hyuuga. It is nothing more than a waste."

And then, as ruthlessly as his reputation said him to be, his hand slammed into Ao's chest a final time, a powerful surge chakra almost exploding out of his back. He could sense Hinata's wince at just the thought of what his insides would look like.

His expression was dark and one of anger as he towered of the fallen man. "That eye belongs to my clan," Neji muttered coldly, though his voice rang loud and clear to them all. "I'll be taking it back now."

* * *

The medics behind them grew uneasy at the sight of so many standing opposite them, glaring at them intimidatingly. How many were there? Sakura couldn't even count, her mind going blank at the large number. Glancing upwards, she narrowed her eyes at the ones on top of buildings. In their position, they had easier access to the hospital. Should she create clones? Send them to confront those when the battle started?

"Remember to keep moving, Sakura," her shishou warned under her breath, unaware that this was not Sakura's first battle against so many at once. "Don't stay in one place for longer than a second, unless you absolutely have to."

She nodded once, her hard green eyes never leaving the enemy. Shit. Creating clones was going to have to happen unless any of the medics behind them could suddenly fight on the front lines. They were only there as a precaution, to ensure nobody managed to slip through her and Tsunade.

The first of the enemy shot forward, soon followed by the rest.

Sakura's fists clenched.

"Shizune, Rin. Lead the medics," came Tsunade's booming order. "Sakura and I will deal with these pesky flies!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Following her shishou's lead, Sakura ran after her, taking those who were mid leap towards the hospital by surprise by swinging upwards, using a shockwave of chakra to knock them higher into the sky. They were unable to regain control when she followed the attack with another, this time stronger so that it affected their bones and she heard the medics behind her wincing and shuddering at the sounds of their bones snapping under the assault.

She ignored them.

The hospital was her main priority.

"Think you can keep up, Tsunade-shishou?" Sakura smirked, ducking beneath a fist and spinning, catching a woman's legs when she failed to leap over her foot. There was another sickening crunch, but she was quick to put her out of her misery as she slammed her fist into her chest.

The blonde laughed in response. "When I'm done with these guys, I'll come after you for that smart mouth of yours."

"I mean, if you still have the energy…"

Had she still been fifteen, Sakura would've paled at just the thought of speaking with Tsunade like that. The woman would've pummelled her to the ground. But it seemed, with a single glance at each other, that she'd earned her shishou's respect and it had her grinning. She knew she probably looked insane (who the hell grinned happily, excitedly, during battle other than a psychopath?) but she didn't care.

"You're not getting through me," Tsunade snarled, stomping on the ground and throwing many off balance.

Using that to her advantage, Sakura shot forward, ending it quickly for each of them. But it felt like as soon as one was taken care of, another five joined the battle. It was never ending.

Would their stamina last?

* * *

"Dad, c'mon!"

Features setting into a grim mask, he watched out the window at the battle raging on in his village. More than anything, he wished to join his villagers. He wished to support them and fight for them. However, he had to ensure nothing happened to their jinchūriki – not his wife and son, but the village's greatest assets. There was also the fact that the elders were in the tower, too. Until they were taken to the evacuation shelters, he could not leave them. They were his responsibility.

But so was the village.

At the aftershock of an explosion that shook his tower, Minato shut his eyes, willing himself to gain just the slightest bit more patience.

"This village is supposed to be _your_ responsibility," Naruto yelled, hands coming down on the desk and in response, he heard the wood crack. "What happened to everyone being family, huh? _You're letting them die out there!"_

"Naruto, enough," his mother warned just as loudly. Minato didn't need to look at her to know what expression she would be making – it would be the terrifying one, the demon-like one, considering the fact their son hesitated in replying. "We need to bide our time before going out there. If we go out too soon, we could lose any advantage."

"What the hell does that mean?" came his naïve demand and Minato inwardly sighed. There was still so much Naruto had yet to learn. "_We_ _are_ the advantage, Mom."

But Kushina was no longer paying attention, her gaze zeroing in on a particularly nasty battle in the distance – the only reason he could tell was because she had come to stand by his side, offering her silent support. Unlike their son, Kushina understood his difficult situation. She knew how badly he longed to be out there, helping them.

"For now, we stay," Minato replied steadily. Narrowing his eyes, he watched the area surrounding the hospital, watched as a flash of pink caused a controlled destruction from the air, one that targeted the enemy but spared the hospital. It was something to marvel. "Our presence is not necessary for now."

Not when they were out there.

* * *

There wasn't a chance to take a break.

Barely controlling his panting, Itachi looked around at the destruction of his district, assessing the damage both to the properties and life. From what he could see in that moment, at a single glance, there was over a hundred lives lost and it caused a horrible ache in his chest.

_They needed you to protect them._

He shook the negative thoughts from his mind, willing the sight of children laying lifelessly on the ground to leave him for the duration of the battle. Once it was over, he would pay his respects. He would grieve and apologise to his clansmen for not being stronger, for not protecting them. For now, however, he had to remain strong for the sake of his village. It would be naïve to say he would stop the deaths of anyone else, but he made a silent promise to them all that he would do his best for them.

Nodding once to Shisui, who was equally breathless and bloody, they signalled for the clansmen to separate, some remaining with Shisui in the district to seal away the bodies of their comrades, others following Itachi as he ran ahead, taking out anyone who got in his way.

_Protect Konoha._

_Protect his comrades._

"Where do you want me?"

Itachi glanced to his brother, who was a few steps behind him but otherwise keeping up admirably. Just a year ago, Sasuke had been way behind him. Now they were running almost at the same pace. He felt a surge of pride for his brother's growth.

_By my side so I can keep an eye on you,_ was what Itachi _wanted_ to say. He wasn't sure how he would cope if his brother was defeated in battle. However, he reminded himself of Sasuke's growth in strength and maturity. Now, he knew he could rely on him.

"As you already know, Sakura left for the hospital," Itachi murmured, the wind and sounds of battle carrying his voice away. "Go on the assumption that only she is fighting."

He nodded once. "You want me to get backup."

It wasn't a question. "I want you and as many others as you can find to be the backup."

Again, Sasuke nodded, his red and black eyes focusing on his left before he shot off in that direction. Itachi didn't falter or pause. Didn't hesitate to continue running. The area surrounding the Hokage Tower would undoubtedly need guarding, as would the Academy. As he previously stated: they had to assume the worst. They had to assume not only the elders not being evacuated, but also the children.

"Itachi-sama!"

"Follow me," he ordered of his clansmen.

They would check on the children first, he decided. The Hokage Tower would have platoons of ANBU already there, alongside the Hokage himself. They wouldn't need immediate assistance. The children, however…

Narrowing his eyes, Itachi increased his speed, hoping to whoever was listening that he wouldn't have to see another dead child.

* * *

She was immediately on high alert at another's presence, the sight of him making her frown in confusion. There was no forehead protector in sight but he was fighting alongside them, his moves and jutsu telling them that he was a medic-nin – a powerful one at that. But could he fight? He didn't look like much. More like a bookworm.

"Oh?" Tsunade narrowed her honey brown eyes, glancing over her shoulder at the man. "You've come out of your orphanage, have you, Yakushi Kabuto?"

"You're not the only ones capable of fighting on the front lines," he muttered, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "I may not possess the _Byakugō no In_ and I may not have superhuman strength, but please, don't underestimate me."

Sakura's frown deepened. Would he be a liability? She and Tsunade already had their work cut out for them – they didn't have the time to babysit anyone. Wouldn't he be more beneficial searching the village for anyone who needed healing?

"Very well," her shishou replied with a snort. "Don't get in my way, boy."

Already, Tsunade was dashing towards an enemy, cutting him off from reaching her medics with a vicious snarl. Sakura felt herself admiring her during her breather, watching how flawlessly her shishou landed her blows, each one precise and purposeful. There wasn't a single punch out of place, not one kick lacking. The raw power from her attacks was enough to leave craters – even if she didn't touch the ground. Unlike many others before her had, Tsunade didn't allow sitting behind a desk to weaken her. She was in no way slacking off when it came to her training, and it was obvious to them all as she took one enemy after another out of the battle, like she was some kind of one woman army.

It boosted Sakura's confidence and determination.

They _would_ do it.

They would win.

For Konoha.

Her attention was diverted from launching an attack when she saw the new guy – Kabuto – take a blow to the stomach, the force of the attack sending him flying several metres, his silver-grey hair shielding his features. It was as she'd expected, then. He wasn't much of a fighter and now–

Wait…

He was getting up, smirking at the opponent and wiping the blood off his chin. The hole in his stomach was… It was gone. His healing powers were phenomenal, Sakura noticed with wide eyes. Before the attack even landed, it was like he was predicting where it would hit and healing the damage it was going to cause. It was the only way to explain how quickly it was healed. His injury was already healed, despite the attack being mere seconds ago.

Incredible!

Maybe he wouldn't be as much as a liability as she previously believed.

She glanced behind herself, eyes narrowing at the sight of the medics working tirelessly, doing everything they could to dodge and deflect the weapons or jutsu thrown their way. Several of them had disappeared to see if their healing abilities were needed anywhere, but the rest remained there, guarding the hospital fiercely.

They–

A disgusting chakra flashed through her mind – several, in fact, but the main cause for concern was the one rushing towards the medics. Several of his own comrades were bulldozed out of the way, the guy's eyes locked onto the first few lines of the medics. At the rate he was going, he'd clear through them within a heartbeat. He could seriously injure them, if not kill them. His strength was something to admire and fear, from the looks of it.

So she took him on herself, cutting him off in his rampage.

A grunt of pain escaped her as she ran straight into the monster of a man, shoulder pushing against him as her hands came around his waist, putting everything she had to push him further back, to slow his run towards the other medics. The heels of her feet dug into the ground, nails biting into his skin and her expression was one of extreme strain, flushing red from the sheer power she was up against. It was insane. Inhuman.

In response to her interference, like he only realised at the last second what she was trying to do, he reached down and grabbed her leg with a large hand that seemed to take up most of her calf, swinging her around like she was nothing but a doll. Compared to his stature, she may as well be. And she cried out in pain as it felt like her leg was about to snap off or come out of its socket.

"Sakura," Tsunade snarled.

He was forced to release her when her shishou came down on him from above, leg raised in her infamous Tsūtenkyaku. The whole world was one big blur as she soared through the air, as everything began spinning. There was nothing to stop herself with and if she didn't act quickly, she would crash into the hospital, doing an unknown but undoubtedly heartbreaking amount of damage to it.

But then her back fell against someone's chest as they stopped her in the air, arms coming to her sides to steady them both against the momentum when he dropped to the ground, heels digging into the dirt.

Green eyes hesitantly glanced over her shoulder, meeting sharingan red and black.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded once.

He wasn't the only one who joined them, she realised in numbed disbelief, because on top of the man who'd thrown her was none other than her former sensei, the sight of his casualness making Tsunade crack a smirk even as she continued to fight others.

"Yo, Sakura," greeted Kakashi with a smile, like it was perfectly normal to crouch on somebody's shoulders with them only realising right at the last moment. "I saw you struggling. Need a hand?"

Her eyes were wide. "Kakashi-sensei."

"Oi, get off me!"

He ignored the angered yells. "Like old times sake, eh? Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but we brought some reinforcements."

The sight of them all had her eyes widening further, had her staring at them with a warming heart as her comrades instantly got stuck into the battle, with Obito sparing a single glance at Rin before he took out the enemies closest to the medics, coming to stand before them defensively. Slowly, almost gently, Sasuke placed her down onto her feet, his arm lingering until he knew for certain she was strong enough to stand on her own.

"Can you feel that?"

Kakashi looked up from the kunai that he was plunging deeply into the back of the giant's neck, eyebrow raising. "Hm?"

"That… chakra," she murmured unsurely, focusing on the direction of the gates.

"I can feel it, too," Sasuke muttered. He followed her gaze, his intimidating eyes narrowing. "Two of them, to be more exact."

Hopping off the man as he fell lifelessly to the ground, Kakashi lifted the forehead protector covering his sharingan, blinking a couple of times to adjust. It had Sakura making a mental note, telling herself to examine him after everything was over. How long had it been since she checked up on his sharingan? Too long.

"Keep track of them for now," he ordered calmly even while leaning back, dodging a punch effortlessly. With the same kunai he used on the bulldozing man earlier, he struck, slitting his throat without hesitation. "It doesn't feel like they're moving."

"Yes, but," Sakura paused in her murmur and shivered. There was something familiarly disgusting about the chakra she could sense. "This _feeling_…"

"I know. But we have to keep fighting until they show themselves, understand?"

Reluctantly, Sakura nodded.

* * *

"Dad," Naruto complained for what seemed like the thousandth time.

Blue eyes stared off into the distance, narrowing fractionally and by his side, Kushina took his hand, her own expression grim. "Not yet."

* * *

"Thank you, Itachi-san," Iruka said gratefully, giving him a strained smile. "That should be everyone now."

Nodding, he glanced in the direction of the main entrance to the village. There was an ominous feeling in the air, one that had goosebumps breaking out across his skin, the hairs on his arms standing on end. It was a familiar feeling. One he could recall experiencing many, many years ago.

All children had been evacuated – the job was half done when Itachi arrived, but there had been several classes trapped in the academy, the children too frightened or too young to listen to their sensei. They had needed more figures of authority hanging around to make them feel just that little bit safer and who better than intimidating Uchiha men with blood red eyes? It was both amusing and disheartening how quickly the children had followed their orders, snapping out of their terror after a simple glance at the Uchiha men.

He'd encountered several platoons of ANBU during the evacuation, but not Konoha's. His clansmen had attempted to assist him, but Itachi hadn't allowed it. The children were top priority and unless they could see him struggling against the enemy, they were not to intervene. He would hold them off.

Sensing another's presence, Itachi turned, breathing out a sigh as he took several kunai from his pouch, three in each hand.

"Go, Iruka-san," he ordered calmly. "Watch over the children."

* * *

"They're here," she panted to her shishou, who nodded in response, unforgiving in the way her fist lashed out, flinging her enemies backwards and into the ground. They didn't get back up.

"Stay on your guard," came her even reply and she stood tall, turning in the direction their chakra was coming from. If Sakura wasn't mistaken, they were already there. Simply biding their time. "Those two are in complete control, so let's hope they don't transform."

The medics were now working on the shinobi who'd joined the battle as backup, healing whatever needed fixing then sending them straight back out, where they fought even harder. Other shinobi were offering their support to them, wanting to help face the new enemy, but Sakura sent them away with a single glare. Who would fight the others? The Kiri-nin and Kumo-nin? Who would protect the hospital? No, they needed a divide – perhaps divide wasn't the right word to use, but she was limited on time and couldn't waste any more trying to find the right one.

"Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke-kun." They appeared beside her instantly, standing with her and Tsunade as they waited for their new enemies to show themselves. "We might need more."

Kakashi glanced over his shoulder, single eye narrowing. "My eye, when combined with Obito's, makes us both stronger."

"Get him."

She felt Tsunade glancing down at her, saw out of the corner of her eye how one of those blonde eyebrows was lifting slightly in surprise, but Sakura paid no attention to that. She couldn't let it get to her head. "Sasuke-kun, your clan can control or at least manipulate the Kyuubi because of the sharingan. Is that the same for all tailed beasts?"

"No," he answered, hand resting on the hilt of his katana. "My clan is tied to the Kyuubi – that is why our eyes can control it. It's not the same for the others."

Shit. "And we already know genjutsu doesn't work on the jinchūriki."

"Yes," responded Tsunade. "Their tailed beast knocks them straight out of it."

"Gai and Lee would be useful," Kakashi added a few moments after Obito joined them, patting Sakura's shoulder as he walked by her. "Their taijutsu skills would give us a great advantage."

"Send Pakkun to find them."

"Yes, Ma'am." She ignored the teasing smirk.

Gods, her heart was pounding. She could feel a nervous sweat breaking out over her skin. Perhaps her imagination was running wild, but it felt as though the chakra she was focusing so hard on was growing by the minute, surrounding them like creeping vines, ones that were wrapping around them tortuously slowly, strangling the life out of them all.

_No._

_Focus._

Breathing out deeply, Sakura strengthened her stance, forcing herself out of her anxiety. If they went up against the jinchūriki, then that was what they had to do. It couldn't be helped.

Kiri's jinchūriki was captured – everyone knew that. After being captured, the tailed beast was extracted from the Yondaime Mizukage, which was more than likely the reason why Kiri had suddenly attacked. As for Kumo's… They had two jinchūriki. The Nibi and the Hachibi, if she was remembering correctly. The Hachibi's jinchūriki was the Raikage's brother. What was his name again? It was something stupid. Something one wouldn't expect of a–

Killer B!

Remembering his name brought forth his picture she'd once seen in her Bingo Book. Tall, muscular and looked as though he could crush her in a heartbeat. However, looks were deceiving. It wasn't the brute strength she had to look out for (although that was impressive), it was his other skills. He had mastered kenjutsu. According to the book, his kenjutsu skill was completely unique.

"Killer B can fight with seven katanas at once," Sakura informed them under her breath. Why she was whispering, she wasn't entirely sure. Probably because of the tension. "Kakashi-sensei, Obito, Sasuke-kun, I think you three will be best suited against him because of your sharingan."

"Got it," Obito responded, then looked over his shoulder towards the medics.

"Focus, Obito," Kakashi muttered.

"Tsunade-shishou, we'll take on the Nibi," said Sakura, ignoring her former sensei's scolding. "The Bingo Book said the jinchūriki – Nii Yugito – is skilled in taijutsu, which is our strong point. She's agile and fast, so our skills in dodging and countering are beneficial."

"Good thinking," her shishou praised her, a small, proud smile pulling on her lips.

It was difficult masking her delight, but she did so somehow. Just in time, too, because her former sensei suddenly sensed a shift in the chakra.

"They're coming," murmured Kakashi, his eye narrowing. "Prepare yourselves."

* * *

Grabbing the child, he turned, failing to fully dodge the explosion that sent them careening across what had once been a playground for the children of the academy. Now, it was in ruins. The building was collapsing in on itself. It was… It filled him with a horrible feeling, like his heart was hurting, his stomach twisting painfully. It took him a few moments to realise it was heartbreak. He was heartbroken.

And that made him angry.

He grit his teeth, turning his back to the ground to break the child's fall. How she'd remained in the building when his clansmen had been searching thoroughly, Itachi was unsure. Whatever reason it was, she was now his main priority. He had to get her to safety. It didn't matter to him that his back was all cut up and bleeding in several places from the debris, didn't matter that it stung and his natural reaction was to remain as still as possible. Instead, Itachi stood up and gently pushed the child behind him, warning her to stay there.

And when his eyes locked onto those of his enemies', they flinched, cowering in the deadly gaze of his mangekyō.

They would regret targeting the most innocent ones in their village.

* * *

They were unstoppable.

She was only barely able to dodge the knife-like nails that reached for her, threatening to claw her eyes out and Sakura grunted as she hit the dirt, falling onto her stomach. A second later and she was forced to move again, rolling over onto her back to avoid the deadly foot aiming for the back of her neck. The guys had their work cut out for them, too. Killer B was a force to be reckoned with and instantly put his kenjutsu skills to use when Sasuke lunged for him with his katana. But Sakura didn't have time to focus on how they were fairing, not when her own battle wasn't going too great.

Nii Yugito had to put distance between them when Tsunade appeared by her side, swinging wildly to try and land a single punch. The Kumo-nin had learned (or known all along) not to allow her and Tsunade to fight together. Instead, she continuously tried to keep them separated, creating a clone to go after one while she fought the other. Her shishou was trying her best to dispatch of the clone as quickly as possible, but it was difficult. The clone was easily as strong as the real version and ten times harder to dispatch of than Naruto's. Was that the Nibi's chakra aiding in keeping it alive? Was that even possible? If so, why didn't the Kyuubi do that for Naruto?

When Tsunade darted forward once more, throwing punch after punch, Sakura shifted and shot off from her place on the ground, sweeping her leg out in an attempt to take out Yugito's. The fierce looking woman jumped, bringing her knees to her chest before kicking out at Tsunade, putting more distance between them as she was sent back several metres. Then, upon landing, she swung at Sakura, the tips of her extended nails scratching at her neck.

Leaping back, she brought her hand to her neck, wincing at the stinging sensation. It wasn't deep. Hopefully, those claws weren't poisoned, either. Her hand began to glow green, examining the area just in case. They couldn't risk anything when fighting two jinchūriki.

Worriedly, she stole another glance at the men, green eyes narrowing at Sasuke's panting. Killer B wasn't even winded – all jinchūriki seemed to have remarkable stamina, much to her dismay. Having Naruto with them would've been a major help, but she could understand why they hadn't made their appearance yet (the Hokage's family, she meant). They needed their trump cards to stay hidden until the enemy was worn down, until their guards were lowered. Once they had made notes on their techniques, they could pass on said notes to their Hokage and his family, who would take little to no time to take them out. It was all about precaution.

"This is taking too long," Yugito hissed and took them all by surprise as she shot over to Killer B, driving Obito back with the swinging of her deadly claws. "B, you know what we must do."

The man was silent, but nodded his understanding. Sakura disliked that she couldn't see his eyes – his sunglasses were incredibly dark, making it impossible to see through them. What expression was he wearing? His body language spoke of his acceptance, but what did his eyes say? Was he enjoying the battle? Did he wish he was somewhere else? What kind of person was he?

There was no time to care about that, however, when the two started something that had them all tensing, had them all fearing the worst.

They started transforming.

* * *

"Can't you feel that?" he yelled angrily, no longer caring for holding onto his non-existent patience. When there was no answer from his stoic father, Naruto demanded, "Well? Can you? Can you feel your shinobi dying out there?"

"Naruto-"

"I'm tired of this," he snarled and turned for the door, body shaking with his rage. "If this is what it means to be Hokage – to stand around and do nothing while the people you claim to love and care for are out there _dying for you_ – then I don't want to be Hokage anymore." Gods, he was so angry with them. Why the hell were they acting like that? Like cowards? "I'm not letting anyone die for me!"

Just as his hand reached the doorknob, somebody grabbed his wrist, stopping all movement and when he looked up, he was met with the sight of an ANBU mask – one he didn't recognise.

"You are not to leave the office, Naruto-sama."

Naruto looked to his parents in outrage – surely they wouldn't allow ANBU to manhandle him when all he wanted was to help the villagers? But his mother's features were serious, solemn. His father didn't even look at him, instead keeping his back to his son.

_How could they?_

* * *

Her whip wrapped itself around the rampaging jinchūriki's neck, forcing the half-transformed woman to come to an abrupt halt. Within a heartbeat red chakra coated hands fumbled with the weapon to try and remove it, but it was futile. Sakura's chakra kept it from being budged. They could no longer see her features or the colour of her skin or hair. All they could see now was the tailed beast's chakra cloak.

"I prefer tamed house cats," she yelled before pulling on the whip and forcefully bringing the struggling jinchūriki closer. "But don't worry." Clenching her left fist, she threw it forward just in time to meet Yugito's cheek, snarling out, "I can tame you, too."

Releasing her hold on Yugito once the punch landed, Sakura met the steely gaze of her shishou from across the battlefield as she prepared herself to strike. Body tensed, fists clenched and eyes narrowing, Tsunade stepped forward, flooding her arm with chakra until Yugito was close enough to be hit again, the punch sending her straight back to Sakura. Smirking, she decided to use her leg for the next blow and then for the next, her elbow. It was like a deadly game of one-on-one football between them, with the chakra covered Yugito being the ball.

Leaping up into the air as soon as she landed a hit, Tsunade nodded once at her apprentice, preparing herself for the next time Yugito was punched her way. Gritting her teeth, Sakura skidded across the ground, using both feet to kick her way up into the air. Then, she was joining Tsunade, though surprised her shishou by going even higher than her, but the blonde quickly caught on, managing to send Yugito higher with ease, her momentum unstoppable.

The second the Kumo-nin was within reach, Sakura narrowed her eyes, fist glowing blue and with a yell of, "_Shannaro!_" her punch connected, though was directed in such a way that kept Yugito far away from the hospital. While landing, she watched as the woman was sent through building after building before coming tumbling out of the last one.

Landing beside Tsunade, she breathed out a deep sigh, growling lowly when Yugito managed to stand. How the hell that was possible after an attack like that, she wasn't sure. All Sakura knew was that it wasn't over. Far from it.

And it was proven as the chakra covered beast seemed to all but explode, suddenly towering over them and the deafening war cry that boomed around them felt as though it was shaking them to the core, even causing the ground to quake. Sakura had to steady herself against the raw power Yugito – no, the _Nibi itself_ radiated.

"What a way to keep ya head, bakayaro," she heard Killer B rap, completely stunning her. "If we're not smart about this, we're gonna wind up dead, konoyaro."

And then Killer B did the worst thing he could have possibly done, making both Sakura's and Tsunade's hearts stop since he was so close to their hospital.

He released the Hachibi.

* * *

The sudden explosion of chakra had many faltering – the enemy included. Clearly, whatever their plan had been, it wasn't to release the tailed beasts so soon into the battle. They were unprepared.

"Fools," Itachi heard one man yell.

He agreed, though only partly. By transforming so soon, they were attempting to draw out the Hokage. Together, they would no doubt defeat him, for no mortal could fight against two tailed beasts at the same time and survive. Namikaze Minato was a skilled man, there was no doubt about it and he excelled in many things, but he was still human. To add to that thought: only one of their jinchūriki could fight with the Kyuubi's power and remain in control. To have Kushina use its power could prove disastrous, and something they should avoid unless it was an absolute last resort.

"Go," Itachi ordered of the child, gently lowering her onto her feet at the top of the stairs. She was shaking, tears never ending and the fear on her face appearing as though it would stay there for years to come. Sighing, in a moment of pity, he reached down, wiping her cheeks. "You will be safe now. I-"

But something over his shoulder had her crying out horribly, had her screeching so loudly and with so much terror that he was certain it would stay with him for many nights. Her hand was trembling uncontrollably as she pointed at what had caused her so much fear and Itachi felt his stomach drop at the sight of the two fully transformed tailed beasts.

What terrified him the most, however, was the flash of pink that appeared to be running up the back of the Nibi a second before it was being slammed into the ground, no doubt in response to being on the receiving end of Sakura's punch.

_She was fighting a tailed beast._

_And there was another mere feet away from her._

* * *

Creating two shadow clones, Sakura had them rushing off ahead, swinging and kicking and landing whatever attacks they possibly could while she darted beneath the beast, launching herself upwards and kicking it into the air, where her clone was quick to follow up with a swift punch to the face, knocking it back and away from the hospital.

She had long since given up on trying not to cause damage to the village. Fighting two tailed beasts made it pointless, for it was going to get destroyed either way.

"Where the hell are Gai and Lee?" she only just heard Tsunade demand. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her blonde hair billowing behind her, both their haori long gone, lost somewhere amongst the rubble and debris. "Kakashi!"

"_Pakkun is looking for them,"_ came his muffled response. At that moment in time, he'd covered himself, Obito and Sasuke with a strong wall that absorbed as much damage from the Hachibi's attack as possible.

Many had come to the hospital at the sight of the two tailed beasts, hands flying through seals to try and send them outside the village with the force of their attacks alone, but it was impossible. They were too strong for them. They needed more power. Like Tsunade said: they needed Gai and Lee's taijutsu skills. To be more exact: they needed their forbidden jutsu. The strength of the inner gates.

So many were being injured in their fierce attempts to protect the village and hospital, the sight of her comrades' bodies strewn across the battlefield of what was once her home making Sakura ache viciously. Had she not been so concerned with saving everyone else, she would've collapsed there and then, for the sheer number of them made it feel like everything was hurting. It felt like her heart was being trampled on. She was…

She was supposed to protect them all.

And she couldn't do that.

Just feeling the tears filling her eyes made Sakura lash out stronger than before, her battle yell mixed with a sob of torture.

She couldn't protect them.

At the rate things were going…

* * *

Where was he?

Ducking beneath a barrage of kunai, Itachi leapt onto a roof, his red and black eyes narrowing while he increased his speed. Luring away the enemy was not originally a part of his plan, but he must admit it was a wise idea. Lessening their number over by the hospital was important – it gave the others a chance to focus solely on the tailed beasts. However, his main priority was finding his friend. He had to find Shisui.

There was more than a few platoons following him now, all intent on taking out the patriarch of the Uchiha Clan. They believed that they stood a chance due to how many of them there were. In reality, Itachi wasn't fighting back because he needed his strength. He needed his stamina.

_Sakura…_

He hoped she was okay. That she hadn't had to rely on Sōzō Saisei just yet, though simultaneously hoping that she'd used it if it was necessary. His head was a mess. Heart a mixture of emotions. While Itachi knew his lover was not weak, that she didn't need others to fight her battles, she'd helped him realise over their years together that it was perfectly fine to rely on others. Shouldering the burden alone was not the answer. He had to allow his comrades, his friends, to help him. That was what teamwork was all about.

_Please._

Sakura was a powerful woman. She was capable of more than she herself believed. Right from the very beginning, regardless of the fact she was incredibly annoying, short tempered and argumentative, Itachi had seen her potential. Where she was now… He knew that that was only the beginning of her power. There was so much more that she had yet to learn, so much that she was _going_ to learn under the tutelage of one of the greatest shinobi he knew. And he was going to make sure she made it through the war just so she could learn it all.

_Please be okay._

Life…

Death…

Itachi shook the thoughts from his head, his heart leaping into his throat when Shisui came into view. He and the others were surrounded by dead bodies. Their clothes and features were covered in signs of battle, eyes seeming redder than ever amongst all the blood, standing out eerily.

_Wait for me, I'm coming._

* * *

They were going to attack again.

"Move," Sakura ordered of the medics, eyes widening with terror when it clicked in her mind where the Nibi was targeting. So far, she and Tsunade had managed to deflect the attacks targeting the medics. This one, they couldn't._ "Move!"_

But not all of them were going to make it. There was a few who were refusing to move, refusing to leave the comrades they were working over tirelessly. One medic in particular had blood soaking all the way up to their elbows, had it splattered across their cheeks and uniform.

"_No,"_ she heard a man yell helplessly, flinching when a kunai sliced across his torso. Ignoring the attacker, he lunged, rushing towards the medic, voice cracking as he cried out, _"Rin!"_

Why did it feel so…

It was like she'd been there before, in a way.

"Rin," Kakashi copied Obito's shout of despair, but like herself, he couldn't move.

Sakura wanted to run, to try and help, but it was like her body was frozen. All she could do was stare, her mind playing over and over what was about to happen. Then, when it did happen, she found her mind had underestimated the horror caused by the attack that sent the medics soaring through the air, either crashing into buildings and landing on the ground in boneless heaps, or being caught by the claws of the Nibi and having their torsos ripped open or limbs torn off. And it was like she _watched_ the purpose leave Obito's eye as Rin fell lifelessly to the ground, being one of those caught by a claw, wishing to protect her patient.

A single tear slipped down his cheek as he came to a stop and for a moment, he seemed so much like a lost child.

But then everything around them felt like it slowed down, felt like the air around them had suddenly vanished, when his single eye morphed into a new design, widening with pure rage.

By her side, like Obito's new burst of power had sapped him of all of his, Kakashi collapsed.

Sasuke immediately covered their former sensei, taking on a sudden enemy who wished to take advantage of the Copy-Nin's unconsciousness. He was saying something to her, growling something at her, but Sakura couldn't focus on anything other than the grief and hatred that had twisted Obito's features into a vicious scowl. Couldn't hear anything other than his howl of agony, his screams of anger. There was no stopping his sudden rampage and uncaring of who they were, he took down anyone who was near him without taking a single blow. Like nobody could touch him.

_No other clan treasured love as much as the Uchiha,_ an oddly familiar voice murmured in her mind.

In her frozen state, Obito ran straight through her, his deranged features haunting her mind.

Carnage.

It was a bloodbath.

Sakura stared around herself with wide, horrified eyes. From the sight of the surviving medics working tirelessly over the injured, to the sight of the shinobi fighting hard. What struck her the hardest was the sight of Uchiha Obito. Gone was the man who was filled with nothing but kindness – that part of him had died along with the woman he loved so dearly.

Now he was taking down everything and anything in his path. It didn't matter if that person was friend or foe.

Kakashi remained motionless behind her, passed out from the sharingan more than likely, but Sasuke was gone, fighting several feet to their right.

"Sasuke-kun."

He appeared beside her and without needing to ask what she needed, he grabbed Kakashi, holding him securely before disappearing from sight.

A second later and her palms were slamming into the ground, shattering it completely and forcing the fighting to come to halt as everybody jolted away from one another. It wasn't her usual destruction, however. The move held a purpose. And that purpose was to raise the ground surrounding and holding the hospital, the ground that held the bodies of their comrades and the medics working over them.

Tsunade spared her a single glance and nodded once before leaping over the edge, taking down any of the enemies who had clung to the earth.

_The hospital was top priority!_

Said hospital was now over two hundred feet higher, standing out sorely compared to the rest of the buildings. Even though it would attract more of their enemies' attention, it would also alert other Konoha-nin that they were struggling to hold their own. It had the added benefit of putting it out of reach from the tailed beasts who were continuing with their attacks. At least Obito was proving a difficult opponent in terms of landing blows, for he continued to run straight through them, using some kind of weapon to impale parts of their bodies, taking his hatred out on them without holding back.

"Medics, take the wounded inside and stay there," she ordered loudly over the roaring winds and cries of battle.

"But, Sakura-san, what about the-"

"I can heal them," Sakura yelled back to the protester. Glancing over her shoulder, she looked at him with narrowed eyes. It was Kabuto. Despite his amazing ability to heal an attack before it landed, his expertise would be needed inside. "Now go."

Waiting and keeping watch as the medics took the injured inside of the hospital, as soon as the last were inside, she was once more slamming her hands to the ground, taking a deep breath as a chunk of her chakra was taken. Around the hospital, thick stone walls grew from the ground, coming together and closing everyone inside off from the world.

A final time, after doing the correct hand signs, she slapped a single hand to the ground and it was within seconds that beneath her feet stood a large portion of Katsuyu's body, already aware of the situation and knowing what she was about to ask, she immediately separated herself and went down to the battlefield, seeking out the injured Konoha shinobi.

There wasn't much time to take a breather, however, because many of the enemies managed to claw their way up onto the platform, breathing harshly from their efforts.

Sakura narrowed her eyes and cracked her knuckles threateningly, murmuring with a defiant smirk, "I hope you're more of a challenge than your comrades."

It was well over fifty against one, but that didn't bother her. She would rather die than let a single one of them get into her hospital.

And if she was going down, then she was going down swinging.

* * *

"Naruto, Kushina." Minato turned away from the window, narrowing his eyes on his family. "It is time for us to join the battle."

They nodded, understanding what their unspoken orders were.

_Use whatever means necessary to defend our village._


	52. To Those Who Meet Their End

**Chapter 52**

**To Those Who Meet Their End**

* * *

"To think they would target innocent children," she muttered in disgust, hands drifting through the air and at her command, her lower half disappeared into pieces of paper. She would know exactly how much paper there was floating around, turning themselves into shuriken: three thousand, seven hundred and forty-two.

"Don't lose your head," came the order of her lover, despite the fact he was also stuck in a place of angered disbelief. "Remember: we are not to get involved in this battle more than what is necessary. Our duty is to protect the innocent and the vulnerable."

Stepping forward as another group rushed towards the trio, Nagato held up his hand, strengthening his stance while summoning the chakra he needed. "We have no choice but to fight now, Yahiko. Hokage-sama sent us here with the vulnerable for this very reason."

"To show we're not monsters," Konan added and at her words, the paper that had not been folded into shuriken came to her back, lifting her off the ground and above her team as they formed into wings. "Our sole purpose in life is to protect."

Smiling, Yahiko closed his eyes. There really was no use in arguing when they tag teamed him like that. Surely he knew that by now? "Yeah."

They were stationed at the Hokage Monument, watching over the shelters that were currently hiding a great fraction of the villagers, including the elderly and the children. It sickened them all that there were orders to dispose of them, that there were those who thought nothing of it. Cornering the vulnerable like trapped animals in a slaughterhouse.

Brown eyes opened, fixating on the supposed leader of the enemy group. "We split up," he ordered of his closest friends. "Nagato, you are our trump card. I want you to stay-"

"We fight together," Konan and Nagato said simultaneously, expressions grim.

"We're stronger together," the redhead added. "Our teamwork is better than it's ever been."

They couldn't remember when exactly they'd stopped following his every order, or even why. They were no longer afraid to question him. They refused to give anything less than their all. Like Nagato stated: their teamwork was better than it'd ever been in the past.

And he loved them for it.

"Then we'll protect the vulnerable together," agreed Yahiko, not upset in the least about his easy defeat.

* * *

"_Oh!"_

The booming voice of his sensei, along with his sudden attack on the beast, had his blood boiling, had him clenching his fists as adrenaline began pumping through his veins. They had their orders from Pakkun and Rock Lee would be lying if he said he wasn't excited. Yes, it was a scary experience going up against two tailed beasts, but he believed in his beloved sensei's strength and in return, his sensei believed in his. They had the power of youth on their side.

Following up on his sensei's attack, Lee came in from the left, the pair of them nothing but a blur of green spandex, black hair and thick eyebrows as they joined the battle to protect the hospital.

It was a gruesome sight. There were bodies everywhere – some belonging to the enemy's side, but many of their own. His heart ached in response, but it also strengthened his determination to protect those who were left.

"_Shannaro!"_

His aching heart skipped a beat at the sound of her angered yell and Lee looked up in time to see tens of their enemies raining down around them, crashing into the ground with sickening thuds.

"Focus, Lee," Gai ordered seriously, their backs touching. "Now is not the time to start daydreaming."

"Glad you could both make it," said Tsunade breathlessly. Her body was littered in bruises, cuts and dirt, but she was enduring. Lee admired that tremendously. "Sakura's up there," she stated with a jab of her thumb towards the sky.

Following the direction, Lee narrowed his eyes at the sight of the hospital so high up in the sky. During the run towards the battle, of course he'd noticed it was no longer there, but he'd assumed it was Kakashi's doing. How wrong he was to underestimate Haruno Sakura's strength. Neji had already told him how vastly she'd improved. He should have been expecting it of her. After all, even if they were not the average 'geniuses', he and Sakura were geniuses of hard work and perseverance. They overcame the obstacles thrown their way. It was why he loved her so dearly. She was like him in more ways than they'd at first realised.

It was with that thought that he lowered himself into a fighting stance, smirking. There was so much going on around him that he couldn't tell who was friend or foe, but he had his mission: take down the jinchūriki, or at the very least, remove them from the village and hold them there to lessen the destruction and deaths.

Unlike when he was younger, it was easily that he opened the first four gates, eyes narrowing.

He would make Sakura and Gai-sensei proud.

He would protect their beloved village.

* * *

"This is absurd."

Sighing, she folded her legs beneath herself, her hands resting delicately on top of them. As expected, her husband was beyond displeased about their situation. He wished to aid the others, to fight on the front lines and regain his status as a powerful shinobi. It wasn't entirely about protecting the village and their comrades – it was mainly about his pride, which was why Mikoto didn't fight against their son or his orders. Itachi understood his father's reasons for fighting and he wanted him as far from the battle as possible. A shinobi who fought for selfish reasons was a liability. They would make fatal mistakes. Even a man as great as her husband was capable of becoming a nuisance.

"Try not to show your agitation," she said softly for the sake of the children. They were already terrified, cowering together, the sounds of their teeth chattering and whimpers of fear doubling the helplessness Mikoto could feel. "The civilians rely on us for strength in times such as these."

"Strength?" he repeated coldly. "What strength do I have to offer? My own son believes me to be weak."

Mikoto did not respond. She knew it was pointless. Once Fugaku was locked in that head of his, there was no arguing with him or trying to get him out of it. For all he complained about the elders, he was beginning to resemble them a tad more every day. It was both amusing and alarming, for she didn't want to think of herself as being anything like the elder women. Hopefully it was only Fugaku – Mikoto had a while to go before she was classed as an elder.

"Should anything happen," she began, though paused as two children ran in front of them, rushing to their grandparents who welcomed them warmly, their relief forcing Mikoto to bite back a smile. "It will fall to us to protect the civilians should the enemy manage to get through the squads outside."

"Aa."

"In order to do this, we must be ready. We cannot allow our personal conflicts to hold us back."

Sighing, he muttered in return, "The children are the future of Konoha. Until they are ready to protect themselves, we must fight for them."

She smiled.

_There_ was the man she'd grown to love.

* * *

Dropping to the ground, he rolled out of the way, unsheathing his katana in one smooth movement and ramming it into the enemy behind him. Just as quickly he yanked it back out, slitting the throat of another.

Kakashi was in safe hands. A squad of ANBU operatives had collected him, wanting to protect the guy who would no doubt become the next Hokage, despite how much he despised the position. Where they'd taken him, he had no idea. He was safe and that was all that mattered.

His eyes glanced to the left, narrowing before he jumped, effortlessly dodging the woman attempting to sneak up on him from underground (after Sakura's pushing, he and Itachi had worked on the troublesome blind spot, the training sessions doubling as bonding sessions). In the same second, his katana was coming down on her face. She didn't even have the chance to cry out. Didn't know it was coming until it was too late. There was probably no pain, though he couldn't promise that.

"Sasuke."

Someone brushed against his back momentarily. They hadn't needed to speak for him to know who it was, however. "Naruto."

"Sorry I'm late," he said cockily and Sasuke could tell without even looking what expression would be on his face. "Dad wouldn't let us join until now."

The Hokage would have his reasons for that and while Sasuke wished Naruto had been fighting alongside him right from the start, he understood those reasons. Until they knew exactly what was going on, both of the jinchūriki had to remain hidden and guarded. They didn't know if it was all a distraction to steal both halves of the Kyuubi. They didn't know if they were sent to assassinate the Hokage. Of course, Naruto probably hadn't understood in the least. He'd probably given his father hell for it.

"Forget it," he muttered in response and strengthened his stance, holding out his katana. "You're here now."

"Right," he said and it was obvious he was grinning. "So where's Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei? We'll fight as a team."

Who was he to give out orders? Scoffing, he replied, "Sakura has a more important mission, whereas Kakashi barely saw any action. He's out cold and I doubt he'll be waking up any time soon."

As expected, Naruto fell out of his stance and rounded on him, his loud demand to know what the hell had happened echoing around the battlefield.

* * *

He wasn't entirely sure what he would do when he saw her again.

Spinning on his heel, he met a katana with a kunai. At the same time, he threw out several shuriken at another attacker, breathing out a fire jutsu to encase the weapons.

Being separated from someone he loved had never been so difficult. Knowing Sakura was out there, fighting with every fibre of her being, trying more than just her best to protect their village, made it impossible for Itachi to focus entirely. Not because he didn't believe in her strength, but because he wanted to see it again. Wanted to see that fierce look in her eyes. The way she held herself as she declared with actions alone how far she was willing to push herself for her village. The way she held absolutely nothing back. He wished to witness what made him fall so hard for her in the first place.

Witnessing her love for the village and her compassion for her comrades reminded Itachi why _he_ continued to fight. All along, Sakura had been his source of strength. She had become his reason to continue the soul destroying battle. She reminded him what it felt like to have bonds, reminded him how precious they truly were. Itachi hadn't even realised how far he'd pushed everyone away until he let her in. He had so much to make up for, starting with his little brother. But first…

Turning his gaze on the struggling Kumo-nin before him, Itachi unleashed another genjutsu. They didn't use as much chakra as they used to. Since awakening his mangekyō, they seemed to have become second nature for him, almost as though he didn't have to think about it. That was better for him considering his stamina.

He would end things quickly.

* * *

Where was he?

Pain exploded from his side as another burst of who knows what came from his arm, taking down all enemies surrounding him in one sweep.

_She's gone._

There was no stopping his scream of rage and grief, just like there was no stopping the surge of chakra that seemed to erupt all around him. It felt like it was taking control of him, for he surely couldn't be causing so much destruction. But it _was_ him. And just like he didn't recognise his own attacks, he couldn't recognise where he was because_ she was gone._

_Rin's gone._

Hell. That was where he was. A world without Nohara Rin, his fiancée, was hell.

Towering over a fallen man, Obito felt something wooden come from his hand, but he paid it no mind, instead tightening his grip. It was solid. It would cause harm. It would help him unleash the sorrow that was gripping his heart, making it impossible to breathe.

He couldn't see the man's face. Hadn't seen anyone's since Rin had fallen. They didn't matter anymore.

"_Obito, stop!"_

Why should he? They had taken her from him. The crushing weight in his chest was enough for him to know she was well and truly gone.

"_Don't ignore me, brat,"_ someone snarled, their fist slipping straight through his face as he turned towards them slowly. It was a woman. Like the others, he couldn't see her face. He could tell she was panting for breath, however. She'd been fighting for a while. "Don't turn on us, bastard. Rin wouldn't want that."

"Rin," he murmured and glanced at the wooden spear in his hand.

When he looked back up, he could see her eyes. Not the woman opposite him, but Rin's. He could see how frightened she was as the Nibi attacked – he'd seen every second of it like it was in slow motion and because of his sharingan, it was all stuck in his mind and playing on a loop.

He hadn't been fast enough to save her.

"Look at me," she demanded.

"_Tsunade-sama, get out of there!"_

He leaned in closer to her, his expression cold and unforgiving. But before she could respond or move out of the way, his spear pierced through her middle, leaving her to stare at him in utter horror, shaking from the agony.

"Rin is dead."

* * *

"_Tsunade-sama!" _they heard the terrified shriek of her assistant as the woman fell to the ground.

"Take him out," a man to his left ordered.

"He's gone rogue," added another in agreement, already preparing himself with hand signs. "If we don't take him out now, he'll kill us all."

Stepping forward and holding out his hand, he signalled for them to stand down. "Leave Obito to me," he stated, his cloak billowing in the wind behind him.

"Hokage-sama, you-"

Blue eyes narrowed on the scene before him. "Obito is my student, therefore my responsibility. I am ordering you to stay out of this."

* * *

Ducking, she landed a powerful blow to the chest, forcing the man away from her and in the same second, she spun around, kicking another over the edge. There were so many of them – more than she'd been expecting, leading Sakura to believe someone was summoning more shinobi from behind the scenes. Every time they made a dent in their army, another wave came from seemingly out of nowhere.

So far, the hospital was safe. Like she'd told them: there was no getting through her. She would die before the hospital was attacked.

Dashing forward, she gripped the straps of a man's outfit, yanking him forward just as she slammed her knee upwards. Blood splattered across her face when he coughed it up and in response, she kicked him away.

How long could she keep it up? Sakura stole a quick glance around her. They were closing in, coming in from every angle. Apparently they were only just learning not to attack her one on one, because there was no way she could dodge every attack they were throwing her way. If she tried using her full strength to put distance between them, she could damage the hospital (despite it being sealed away by a thick stone wall). If the landing she created was damaged, they would all fall to their deaths. And they knew that.

There was no way to defeat them, not with the enemy's constantly replenishing numbers and their own stamina draining so quickly.

But then two attacks seemed to appear from thin air, a fire attack followed by that ridiculous Rasenshuriken and for a split second, she felt safe, she felt like it was possible for them to win. That feeling multiplied as her boys appeared by her sides, with Naruto gently touching her in a move that could've been seen as an accident, but they knew it wasn't. He was telling her it was okay. He was there now. It was all going to be okay.

"You ready, Sakura-chan? Sasuke?"

She smiled slightly, relief flooding through her system and filling her with new strength. "Yeah," she replied confidently.

"Aa."

They could do this.

* * *

What was happening? Something was trickling down her throat, something scalding, making it impossible to breathe. And why couldn't she move? Where was she? What had happened to her? _Why couldn't she move?_

"_Tsunade-sama!"_

* * *

"We won't make it in time," she said breathlessly, ignoring the sharp branches as they whipped at her face and body, leaving cuts along her skin. "It's already started. Can't you feel that?"

"That's why we must hurry," came his dark mutter. "Before they're all slaughtered like animals."

"Shit," said the third person on their three-man squad. "I hope the messenger manages to make it. We could do with all the backup we can get. The three of us won't be enough."

His eyes narrowed. They were still a fair distance from Konoha, but already he could hear the screams of terror and the cries of battle. It had his blood boiling, the beast inside him screeching with excitement. "If you have time to talk, you're not moving fast enough."

"But we'll be exhausted and useless-"

"Shut up and get moving, otherwise there'll be no one left to save."

* * *

They were trying to climb the platform Sakura had created.

He would not allow that.

Kicking off from the ground, he used the wall of the elevated ground to run across, darting towards the enemy and landing finishing blows on each of them. Sakura was trying her utmost best to protect the hospital. No matter what, he would defend her. He would protect her. He would offer his assistance.

"I will not allow you to harm Sakura-san," Lee stated and raised his hand, preparing himself to strike again.

"That's the way, Lee!" he heard Gai gush from somewhere below him.

He smiled, but then focused his attention on the rampant Nibi. The Hachibi was more reserved in its attacks, he'd noticed. Perhaps it was the jinchūriki's subconscious? Whatever it was, he hoped it would last until the end of the battle.

Another landed beside him, his breathing harsh but appearance otherwise unruffled despite the green flames flickering around his body.

"Lee."

"Yes, Gai-sensei?"

"Follow up on my attacks. Do not falter or create any openings. Backup will soon arrive, but until then we must fight as though we are alone in this. Do you understand?"

He nodded once, expression grim.

There was nothing more said, which was unlike his sensei. However, Lee understood why. Gai was nervous. It didn't happen often but when it did, it never failed to unsettle them both.

Using the platform as leverage, Gai vaulted from it.

"We shall take this outside of the village," he yelled, fist slamming into the face of the Hachibi, followed by an unstoppable kick from Lee, their combined strength knocking it over the wall of the village like it was nothing. "We have done enough damage as it is!"

Lee stole a glance over his shoulder, watching the Nibi through narrowed eyes. How was he supposed to take it down? Gai was too busy with–

Just as he turned to defend a group of preoccupied Konoha-nin, a humongous slug fell on the Nibi from above, slamming it to the ground.

"Quick," Katsuyu ordered of the Konoha-nin. "I can only hold the Nibi for a short while."

* * *

_They needed more speed._

Gritting her teeth, Sakura first grabbed Naruto's arm, since they'd used the move once before and he knew what to expect. There was no falter in his Rasengan as she spun, launching him at the enemies, just like there was no falter from Sasuke's Chidori when he realised what she was doing, nodding once at her. He was flung across the battlefield too, his Chidori screaming louder than his victims, whereas Naruto's didn't have the chance to scream, the deafening _boom_ of his Rasengan silencing them.

Her boys were up in the air again a second later, giving her the opportunity to summon huge amounts of chakra, using shock waves instead of actual punches to get the remaining enemies away from the hospital, throwing them off the ledge. Even if they somehow survived the shock wave, they were as good as dead, she knew that already. Nobody could survive a fall like that.

"Don't let them near the hospital," Sakura reminded them.

"They need us down there, too," Naruto muttered, peeking over the edge once he landed.

What the hell was she supposed to do about that? There was nothing she could do. She was already–

Wait.

"Naruto, create three clones and leave them here. Your chakra reserves are good enough for that, right?" He nodded once, already summoning the three clones and more, stationing them around the hospital. She smiled softly. "Thanks."

"Looks like they're congregating down there. It's worse here than anywhere else in the village," muttered Sasuke, his red and black eyes narrowing intimidatingly. "The Nibi is the biggest threat, however." Glancing up briefly, he added, "The Hachibi is gone. Gai is taking care of it."

Alone? She frowned and prepared herself for the drop onto the battlefield. "We'll do a surprise assault, which should give Lee-san the opening he needs to join Gai-sensei."

They both nodded.

* * *

They all knew when Team Seven arrived on the battlefield.

Holding up her arm to protect her face and neck, Shizune stepped closer to Tsunade, watching the explosion of punches and deadly jutsu worriedly. They'd taken out a chunk of the enemy (one of Sakura's punches alone had done that), there was no doubt about it, but jutsu of those magnitude would affect them, also. What on earth was Naruto thinking? Though, saying that, he _was_ throwing the Rasenshuriken instead of holding it in place. Two, in fact.

She bit back a small, proud smile. The three of them had come so far, had overcome many obstacles together. They'd been separated along the way but they'd come back together, stronger than ever.

Shizune felt her gaze soften as she watched Sakura snap out orders a second before Sasuke's Chidori Nagashi was surrounding the three of them, freezing the enemies closing in on them. Following up on the attack, Naruto created clones and sent them out to finish them off. It was like looking at another version of Tsunade, a sight that warmed her heart.

But then their eyes met the sight of the Nibi, each faltering in their individual ways. Clearly they hadn't expected to face the fully transformed tailed beast so soon in the battle. Shizune frowned worriedly and stole a glance at the woman beside her.

They'd improved vastly, there was no denying that. But were they capable of fighting against the Nibi?

* * *

It was chaos.

Tilting his head to the left, Shisui narrowly avoided the katana aiming for his right eye. His gaze narrowed on the strands of hair that danced around in the wind and the moment they began to fall, he disappeared from sight, his movements too fast for others to see. They only felt the agonising pain of his kunai cutting through them all, causing fatal injuries.

How many attempts was that now? Seventy-three. Seventy-three people had tried to take his sharingan since the battle started – mostly ROOT – and they all failed. He understood their reasons. It wasn't entirely because _they_ wanted his sharingan for themselves. It was so he couldn't use it against them. They were trying to lessen the threat against their forces. Shame it wouldn't work. As long as he was breathing, he and his body would forever remain loyal to Konoha.

Shisui already had his plans for what would happen should he meet his end. Itachi knew of them also, despite his friend disliking the turn of conversation. For shinobi, it was imperative they had backup plans. Say he had a family one day – an amazing wife and children who made him prouder every day. He'd want some form of safety net for them should anything ever happen to him. If he was captured or defeated in battle, he would want Itachi to take care of his family. Not solely because they were close friends. It was because Itachi understood what it was like to be forced into the shinobi lifestyle. He would fight until the bloody end to ensure his children were allowed to choose their own path in life.

However, Shisui did not have a wife or children. He didn't even have a partner. He was too busy with his missions and protecting the village. So his priority was himself. It was the secrets his body held. As a precaution, in case he, for some unknown reason, could not activate the jutsu that would destroy his body, he and Itachi had conjured a technique. The technique itself was gruesome and he knew it would hurt like hell, however, it was necessary. When the time inevitably came for his departure, Shisui had ordered the crows to respond to his draining life force and take his eyes. They were to take them straight to Itachi, for there was no one Shisui trusted more than him. He would ensure his eyes didn't fall into the wrong hands.

He sidestepped a handful of shuriken and reached up, catching one expertly before it struck him between the eyes. The woman opposite him was panting for breath and covered in blood, her piercing golden eyes glaring hatefully at him. He'd long since grown used to such disdain. Being who he was, being prepared to fight tooth and nail for Konoha, meant he would have enemies all over the world. Most simply chose to avoid him until they had a solid plan to defeat him.

Was the woman before him about to become seventy-four?

She rushed him without hesitation, her shockingly red hair loose around her harsh features. Her uniform was in tatters and spotted with blood, much like her tanned skin. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out more shuriken, launching them at him with chakra. As he deflected them effortlessly, she made several hand signs and reached for her kunai, attempting to catch him off guard with imaginary shuriken as well as the kunai directed at his face once she'd closed the distance. His eyes didn't miss a thing, however. Catching her wrists, he stopped the hidden kunai from being shoved into his chest, eyes narrowing once more.

"Genjutsu?" he questioned with a hint of disbelief. "Do you know who you are up against?"

Red eyebrows twitched, her upper lip curling.

Tightening his hold on her wrists, he dispelled the genjutsu. It hadn't been anything extraordinary, hence his disbelief. It was average at best, which meant it was probably an act. The woman before him was the decoy.

"No matter," he murmured. A second later and his mangekyō activated, staring down at her coldly. "I will find your plans out one way or another."

* * *

_Why couldn't she move?_

"_Now, Sakura-chan,"_ she heard the familiar voice order. "_We'll attack that thing together."_

"_You can't go straight into that transformation, idiot-"_

"_What else am I supposed to do, Sasuke?"_ came his angered growl. "_People are dying! Just look-"_ There was a noticeable crack in his voice, the beginnings of a sob, but he toughened up. She wished she could see what was happening. "_I'm doing this for Rin-__nee-chan."_

Wait, for h–

"_Naruto, look out," she heard the haunting cry of Uzumaki Kushina. "_Move_!"_

* * *

For a moment, she was in awe. Standing on the side lines, protecting Tsunade while she was being healed by her assistant, she watched as her son began the transformation. It was the first time she was witnessing it for herself, for they asked of him to refrain from going all out unnecessarily. For those brief few moments, however, the power he radiated was breath-taking. It left her motionless, shocked by the powerful waves of chakra that caused all fighting to come to a stop around them, everyone suddenly wary.

She should have been expecting it.

She should have known they'd attack while he was halfway through the transformation and vulnerable.

It was like all Konoha-nin present tried to protect him, tried to protect the Hokage's son, but not a single one of them made it in time. Not even herself. No matter how hard she pushed herself, no matter what attacks she launched at the Nibi, she couldn't help him. She couldn't protect her baby.

She couldn't save her son.

* * *

She watched him go down, watched his blood splatter onto the ground and up the wall of her platform, watched it staining the horrified features of his mother, who was suddenly frozen in place, tears filling her eyes and arms weakly outstretched, unable to catch him as he fell face first into the dirt.

She tried to save him. Hell, Sakura placed herself _between _the Nibi and Naruto and still… she failed. The damned beast simply reached over her, unaffected by the attacks launched its way, barely affected by the shock waves created by her punches. Turning slowly, she looked up at the tailed beast, her strength draining out of her similar to the way the blood was draining from her best friend's motionless body.

Gone.

Another precious person gone.

The Nibi released an earth quaking roar, blowing her hair back off her face and… all Sakura could do was stare at the blue beast with wide, horrified eyes, falling to her knees uselessly.

Gone.

Gone.

They were both gone.

She felt so cold, so empty. Why were they fighting? Why did they have to die? What was the point in any of it?

"Sakura, get out of there," she heard Sasuke snarl, already moving to grab her.

They wouldn't make it in time.

But then another huge version Katsuyu was popping into existence with Tsunade standing on her head, the pair of them dashing forward and the former spitting acid towards the Nibi, forcing it to back off and leap into the air. But just as it did, Tsunade was coming down on it from above and swinging her fist down on its head, yelling out angrily as the punch connected and immediately slammed it back into the ground. She didn't stop there. Surprisingly, there were tears in her eyes and a sorrowful cry leaving her lips as her feet came down on the beast with powerful stomps, followed by another punch. Then another. Another. Until they were disappearing from view, hidden beneath the crater her shishou had created through the force of her blows.

There must have been a falter in her movement, must have been a moment of pause, because only a second later and there was a flash of blonde. They only saw her for a second before Tsunade was crashing into the platform holding the hospital, causing it to shake threateningly. It would hold, something in the back of her mind told her. It would hold. It was strong. Secure.

Strong hands yanked her to her feet. They guided her towards the lifeless body being clutched desperately to his heartbroken mother's chest. Sakura wanted to fight it. She didn't want to see him. She couldn't. It'd been years and she still saw Ino's final moments in her dreams, the state of her body breaking her all over again. She couldn't have Naruto's added to that. She couldn't. It'd kill her.

"H-Help him," Kushina begged, shaking hands bringing her only son closer, uncaring that his blood was smeared across her skin and uniform. "Sakura-chan, please… _Help my son!"_

Her knees buckled, falling harshly to the ground and her breath left her. A medic knew when a patient was lost and…

Tears filled her eyes.

Naruto was…

He was…

_No._

_No one else!_

Green chakra encased her hands and she all but lunged for him, hands going straight to his chest and the second she realised his heart had stopped beating, she cut into the side of him with a chakra scalpel, using more chakra to keep her hand sterilised as she reached into his chest, gripping his heart and urging it to beat.

"Naruto." Her upper lip curled. "Please, Naruto."

His face was bloody and already bruising, his sightless blues eyes making her shiver. In her rush to help him, she left him laying in his mother's arms, but fortunately for her Kushina understood that he had to be on his back. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as Kushina gently lowered him to the ground, brushing the bangs out of the way and kissing his forehead sweetly.

"You're going to be okay," she promised him. "I'm here, okay? When you wake up, I'll treat you to ramen, but we won't tell your dad. He'll scold us, y'know."

The second she leaned back, Sakura pinched his nose shut and lowered her mouth onto his, forcing air into his lungs. All the while her hand continued to squeeze his heart steadily.

_Come on, Naruto._

_Please!_

Someone fell at his other side and at the sight of bloody hands, her eyes snapped upwards, fierce anger obvious until she saw who it was and had it been possible, she would have paled. Opposite her, with barely any energy left at all, knelt a wheezing Rin. Her brown eyes were hazy and heavy, threatening to close permanently at any moment and blood was spurting from her side. That didn't seem to bother her, however, as Rin summoned what little chakra she had left to help.

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she pulled her lips away from Naruto's. "Rin-san, please stop. Save your chakra for yourself."

But instead she smiled sweetly. It was a smile tainted by the blood on her lips and teeth and Rin took as deep a breath as possible. "Naruto-kun… Sensei's son. Kakashi's student." Her smile widened momentarily. "He's… a precious person to me."

"Forgive me, Rin." Both their wary gazes moved to Kushina. The woman looked utterly broken as she reached out, cupping Rin's cheek softly. "But you're a precious person, too."

And then her hand came down on the back of her neck.

The redhead caught her, gently laying her down beside Naruto and at the curt nod to continue, Sakura did so. But just because they had stopped fighting, it didn't mean everyone else had. It was a point proven by the many Kiri-nin that attempted to take advantage of their grief, throwing jutsu and weapons straight for the Hokage's wife. All were deflected by Sasuke, who stood before them, fiercely protecting them all.

But the sight of the fast approaching Nibi filled Sakura with dread, because while Sasuke was admirably strong, he was not capable of fighting a tailed beast – not even Naruto had been.

Just as the Nibi rose its paw and prepared to swipe at them, that flash of blonde appeared before them again, body outlined in yellow chakra as she caught the paw and gripped a tight hold of it, growling between clenched teeth, "Don't think you've finished me off yet!"

And then Tsunade was launching the gigantic cat through the air with the help of her superhuman strength, following after and striking a single punch before one of its tails slammed her into a building a couple of streets away, the wall crumbling around her.

"Shishou," she cried helplessly. What was she supposed to do?

"Stay here, Sakura," Sasuke ordered, already darting towards the woman. "I'll check on her."

"But the Nibi…!"

She was cut off by Kushina shakily standing to her feet, her once beautiful blue eyes bleeding to red as a fiery cloak covered her body.

"Leave it to me," she snarled, visibly shaking from the raw power radiating around her. "It seems Kurama and I can finally agree on something."

Her sudden leap into the air had the ground beneath her feet crumbling and once away from the villagers, the transformation continued until they could no longer see her real body. It didn't stop with a single transformation, though. It was the full thing, leaving her absolutely breathless because when the hell had Kushina managed to control the Kyuubi's power successfully? Never. She'd never been able to do it. So why was she suddenly able to stay in complete control of the full transformation?

When she spoke next, Sakura could have sworn it was no longer Kushina's voice, for it was much too deep, growling out viciously, "Naruto must live!"

And many, if not everyone, froze at the haunting battle cry of the enraged Kyuubi.


	53. Nothing Left But A Silhouette

**Chapter 53**

**Nothing Left But A Silhouette**

* * *

There was no time to stare in awe at the sight of the Kyuubi, not when she had two people to heal and a group of Kiri-nin closing in on her. Sasuke was gone. He'd left to find and aid Tsunade. Kushina was taking on the Nibi. She was alone with no way to defend the people she cared for. It was like the chūnin exams all over again and it filled her with an immense feeling of helplessness.

"_Kill her_," she heard one of them yell.

"Damn it," Sakura cursed, warily watching the woman charging towards her. There was a deranged look in her eyes, her harsh features twisted with bloodlust. She quickly returned her attention to the two laying before her. "Wake up, Naruto. Please."

The ground was shaking beneath her, the loud battle cries and screams of the Kyuubi alone threatening to distract her from her task. Adding the fact that she _knew_ it was tearing chunks out of the Nibi like a wild animal and…

"Focus," she snarled at herself.

There wasn't the time to make another stone wall to protect them–

Realisation had green eyes going wide as pure dread had her freezing. With Naruto on death's door, his clones would have disappeared. Fearfully, Sakura spun to look up at the platform, shielding her eyes with a bloody hand as she tried to see the hospital, but it was too high. She would have to get up there.

"You don't have the time to worry about others," someone spat to her left, outstretched hand directed for her throat.

Before she even had the chance to face them, however, a large hand wrapped around the man's wrist, forcing him to come to a stop, the sight of her saviour's deadly gaze taking her breath away. Power oozed from every inch of his body as he came to stand in front of her, forcing the attacker to his knees where he cried out, the angle his wrist was being held in undoubtedly causing great agony.

"Are you hurt, Sakura?"

Numbly, she shook her head, though belatedly realised he didn't have eyes in the back of his head. "N-No."

"Good," came his soft reply. "Do you mind if I assist you?"

It wasn't the time or place, but Sakura still barked out a disbelieving laugh, shaking her head fondly. "Always, Itachi."

He smirked.

"Oi, you-" the man began to struggle again, snarling and spitting in Itachi's direction.

Smirk vanishing, he regarded him with great disdain. "Focus on Naruto-kun and Nohara-san."

Without waiting for her reply and with a simple twitch of his hand, the enemy's wrist snapped in his grip, leaving the man to scream in agony. Again, there was no hesitation as Itachi spun on his heel, his other foot sending the guy careening across the battlefield.

"I will protect you."

* * *

"The Kyuubi, huh?"

"Shisui-sama, what should we do?" his clansmen asked.

They refused to show their fear or uncertainty, choosing to remain strong and assertive as they stood amongst the bodies of their enemies. It was something he commended, for even to a clan such as his, it was an unsettling situation. Apparently they'd taken out a great fraction of the ROOT operatives, holding others off long enough for the Hokage's arrival.

"_This is a mess created by my predecessor,"_ he'd said lowly while taking to the centre of the battlefield, standing off against the ROOT operatives. In that moment, Shisui's respect for the man all but exploded to new heights. It took a great man to admit his faults, let alone apologise for them. "_And I will admit: I should have done more to prevent this outcome. Allow me to deal with this."_

"We have our orders," came his bland reply.

Leaving their Hokage behind, even after all that had transpired between their clan and the village, left a bitter taste in their mouths. Perhaps Minato wasn't as experienced as his predecessors were, but like the Shodai Hokage, he wished to see the village unite as one. He didn't want to see anyone ostracised.

"_Assist them,"_ their Hokage ordered. "_Assist my wife, Shisui-san."_

He had his orders. In no way was he going to disappoint his Hokage.

"We are the elite of the clan," Shisui informed them as they increased their speed. Behind him, he heard several _clangs_, followed by groans of death, telling him the Uchiha behind him had defeated enemies while they ran. Narrowing his eyes, he added, "When we arrive, I expect each of you to assist our comrades and aid in turning this ambush around."

"Yes, sir," they replied simultaneously.

* * *

What a fucking mess.

Gritting his teeth, he yanked Tsunade out of the hole her body had created, not caring about how gently he handled her. The woman was a formidable warrior who punched harder than any man he knew – why should he treat her delicately? Tsunade didn't seem to mind, either way. All she did was grunt as her knees hit the ground, arms shaking for the briefest of moments before she was dragging herself to her feet, wiping the blood from her chin.

"Bastards," she growled under her breath, honey brown eyes going in the direction of the battle. "So they managed to push Kushina this far?"

Apparently so. "How long can she withstand it?"

Uchiha Sasuke was not someone who made his bonds obvious to others. Those who were important to him knew who they were. They knew he cherished them in his own way, even if it wasn't always obvious to them. He cared for Kushina – he would admit that. He knew how badly it would devastate not only Naruto, but his own mother, if she died. But how was he supposed to protect her?

"Don't underestimate the Uzumaki Clan," Tsunade warned him and stood to her full height. The seal on her forehead glowed brightly as she spoke, making him narrow his eyes. If he wasn't mistaken, the Shodai's wife (an Uzumaki who also happened to be Tsunade's grandmother) had a similar seal, hadn't she? Did that mean anything? He could've sworn Sakura said the Sōzō Saisei technique was Tsunade's. "They don't die easily."

Was she about to release her seal? Sasuke turned to face the battle once more, hand falling to the hilt of his katana. Everything was destroyed, but he recognised exactly where he and Tsunade were stood. It was a couple of streets away from the market he often frequented with his mother when he was younger, when he had no choice but to go along with her. As Sasuke got older, he refused to accompany her, believing himself too old to shop for groceries with his mother. Now, looking at the scene surrounding him, he silently vowed to accompany her on every trip he possibly could. He would carry the groceries home. He would even put the damn things away.

It was strange how the sight of his village in ruins smacked the brattish attitude out of him effortlessly. Something as mundane as grocery shopping now seemed like a priority.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He tilted his head to the side, assessing the state of Tsunade as she healed her most serious injuries, leaving the others to heal naturally. Once they were dealt with, she met his gaze, honey brown eyes narrowing fractionally. "I want you to return to Sakura's side and watch over her when she opens the immense healing network."

Immense healing network? Katsuyu _was_ summoned and currently fighting alongside them, so why was he surprised? Shaking the surprise away, Sasuke nodded once. "And you?"

"I'm going back to the hospital," she replied, glancing up at the building that was hidden by the clouds. How high up had Sakura sent it? Was it entirely necessary? "With Naruto being unconscious, his clones will disappear. That leaves it at a high risk of attack – if it hasn't been already."

"Take others with you," Sasuke muttered, uncaring of the fact Tsunade was his superior and he had no right to order her around. He was merely stating the obvious.

"I know already," she snapped. "From there, I'll also open the immense healing network and try to complete the evacuation."

"I'll spread the word."

* * *

Noticing the blonde hair on the platform as it dashed upwards, followed closely by several platoons of enemies, Shizune cursed under her breath and darted after Tsunade, dispatching of those trying to hold her back. Spinning when more tried the same, she breathed in deeply, encasing them all in thick, purple fog. One breath of it and they were done for and due to the sheer expanse of it, Shizune knew she had nothing to worry about. Foot touching down on the ground for a second, she leaped, sending chakra to her feet as she instantly began the run towards the others, forcing herself to move faster when she noticed how close they were getting to Tsunade.

Using her poison mist wasn't an option, not when Tsunade was so close to them. It was the blonde who helped her master poisons, after all. Her poison killed anyone who breathed it in. Even a Sannin as great as her.

Taking an extra leap, Shizune landed on the back of one of the kunoichi, planting her kunai deeply into the back of her head. Then, in the span of a second, she released the senbon from the device on her arm, aiming straight for the necks of the enemy. It disgusted her that they left their comrade behind, but upon seeing the differences in their forehead protectors, she realised the alliance between Kumo and Kiri wasn't strong. Possibly forged at the last moment.

_Four down_, she told herself and straightened up, the hair on her face falling back as she stood parallel with the ground at least a hundred feet up. The last of the platoons turned towards her, expressions one of disdain or bloodlust. Behind them, she noticed Tsunade freeze for a fraction of a second, saw her eyes narrowing with worry.

"Go, Tsunade-sama," Shizune ordered. The enemy would have gravity on their side if they were to attack, but she was fast. "Protect our hospital."

She expected the hesitation. She knew her shishou wouldn't want to leave her. Unlike her sibling disciple, Shizune was unable to master the Byakugō no Jutsu, meaning she could die in battle. She wasn't supposed to fight on the front lines. However, that didn't mean she was to be underestimated. She was strong in her own right. She wasn't Tsunade's attendant solely because of her organisational skills.

Honey brown eyes warmed at the determination in her eyes.

"You better get rid of them quickly, Shizune," came her haughty order. "I'm going to need your skills up here."

She smirked. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

* * *

The Nibi was a difficult one, she decided while turning to dodge a swipe of its claws. And it was just as difficult to control the Kyuubi's movements in such a form, more than likely due to the fact that she had never used it before. It was why she relinquished the smallest ounce of control to the beast, allowing it to guide the movements more naturally. Several times, because of her inexperience, they'd suffered blows that could have been avoided had it been in control.

It was scary allowing it to happen, for there was every chance it could turn on the village. However, they both agreed on protecting Naruto. They needed him to live.

"_Stop daydreaming_," came the gravelly voice of the Kyuubi as it bounced around her mind, shutting down her thoughts.

She didn't care for his tone. The Kyuubi was rude and impatient. But she let it slide. Had to let it slide for now. Gritting her teeth, she swung her fist, grateful to find that it was becoming somewhat easier to control where her attacks landed.

"We want the Nibi out of the village," she told the Kyuubi.

In her mind, she saw it nod once. On the outside, the large mouth not far from where she was being held opened wide and she could feel the chakra accumulating, both her own and the Kyuubi's. The mixture was deadly, she noticed instantly and she was glad that the Kyuubi was doing most of the hard work. She lifted her hand and aimed, sending more of her own chakra to aid in the powerful attack, deciding she would put more of an effort in. There was no telling how long she could sustain the transformation for and she could feel exertion beginning to creep in already.

Much to her horror, however, the Nibi read their intentions and swiftly began powering up its own attack, making her eyes go wide as she realised where it was aiming. Damn it, it knew her weaknesses.

But just as that horrible sense of dread dawned on her, another somehow managed to join her, his powerful eyes bringing her a shred of hope as he nodded once, hand coming to her shoulder.

* * *

Green chakra suddenly coated the body of the Kyuubi, in the form of armour, and Sakura squinted, just barely able to see Shisui nod once at Kushina. _Susanoo_, she realised after a few seconds.

In front of her, Itachi stood strong, his kunai bloody as he tossed them to ground and effortlessly disarmed one of his enemy, taking their katana and using it against three of them at once. It was a breathtaking sight, even if it was gruesome and dark. His strength had always impressed her, but witnessing it now brought forth a sense of pride. Why, she wasn't too sure. But when she looked at him she felt her chest warm, felt her stomach bubble with excitement. Her partner was a powerful man. A force to be reckoned with.

She turned her gaze back to the two before her and shut her eyes in concentration. Rin's wound was healed, though she would be scarred from her neck to her thighs for the rest of her life. How she'd managed to move and summon chakra – hell, how her organs had stayed inside her body was beyond her. However, the worst part was over. Rin was stable. She was breathing. It would take a while to heal and she wasn't sure if the woman would be capable of going out on missions any longer, but she would live. That was enough for now.

Naruto, on the other hand, was… She frowned. Placing her hands on his chest, she focused hard, sending her chakra to the damage caused. Rin hadn't taken a direct hit like Naruto had – she'd been further away, too. The Kyuubi's chakra was still active, she noted as soon as her own chakra entered his body. It was erratic, no doubt preparing to break free as soon as the seal disappeared.

The fact that it hadn't, however, gave her hope.

Naruto was still there.

Another coming to stand behind her had Sakura smiling somewhat. She didn't need to look to know who it was. "Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," she said teasingly. "Naruto's going to be annoying you for a long time."

He scoffed at that and held up his katana. "Tsunade wants you to open the network healing."

Already? There were that many who were injured? Then again, they were fighting two tailed beasts, Kumo, Kiri _and_ ROOT. Sakura was surprised they'd lasted so long. "Understood."

Having Katsuyu around would be beneficial, too. When the healing chakra knitted together the last of Naruto's skin, Sakura pulled back, summoning another portion of Katsuyu's body. Unlike before, those around her were also lifted into the sky and she was relieved to spot Tsunade running up the platform. Katsuyu's body was just as big as the last, if not bigger, but it had to be, so she didn't class it as a waste of chakra. It had to be enough to heal everyone.

"Sakura-chan."

Bringing her hands together, she summoned her chakra, opening up her reserves for Katsuyu to use. "Katsuyu-sama, please divide and attend to all those who are injured."

"Yes, Sakura-chan."

By the time they reached the ground, there were several Konoha-nin surrounding her in defensive stances, each ready to spring to her defence should somebody try to attack. Smirking, she stood tall and prepared herself as she felt Katsuyu connect with the others.

There were many injuries, she noted instantly. Some more fatal than others. The two Katsuyu bodies that attached themselves to Naruto and Rin during the fall were of human size, encasing them entirely to add an extra layer of protection, considering one of them was the Yondaime's son, the other being his student. Thankfully, Naruto was breathing by himself again, his heart beating sluggishly but determinedly. If he stayed in Katsuyu's body and continued to use the Kyuubi's chakra, he would be fine.

Ignoring the shaking ground as the armoured Kyuubi forcefully pushed the Nibi back with a beast bomb, Sakura shut her eyes, the last thing to be seen being Itachi's back as he stood directly in front of her. The pause in battle would help him regain some stamina and through Katsuyu, she healed him of his minor injuries, not surprised to find there weren't many of them.

"The Nibi is out of the village," someone confirmed for her.

"But ROOT are making themselves known again."

"Probably trying to get the beasts back in."

"Hokage-sama is dealing with ROOT," came Itachi's level voice, speaking over them all. "As ROOT is a problem within Konoha, he believes it to be a battle only he can fight."

That didn't surprise her. Minato knew how dangerous ROOT was, even without Danzo looming over them and barking out questionable orders. Perhaps they were even more dangerous _because_ Danzo wasn't there to lead them. After all, from what she'd heard, he had Konoha's best interests at heart, no matter how deeply one had to look to find said heart. Whoever the hell was leading ROOT now possibly didn't have the same wants. Or they were following in Danzo's twisted footsteps. She couldn't decide which one was worse.

"Focus on ending this mess," snapped Sasuke.

It seemed she wasn't the only one using the network healing, Sakura realised when she sensed another's presence via Katsuyu. Comforted knowing her shishou was up and about and still able to use her chakra (even though Sasuke wouldn't have left her otherwise), she gave her all to the network healing, willing herself to ease the suffering and pain of her villagers. She was focused so intensely on healing others that she stopped feeling the quaking ground. She no longer felt the rush of battle or heard their cries and yells. Everything else faded away to background noise, her mind going from one injury to the next, thinking of the quickest, most efficient way to heal said wounds.

That didn't mean she was vulnerable, however, and she proved as much by tilting her head to the left suddenly, narrowly avoiding having her ear taken off. Common strategy meant taking out the medic of the enemy's squad – and she could heal hundreds at a time. The others were fighting with everything they had, so she didn't hold it against them that the odd weapon broke through their defences. It couldn't be helped in war.

She understood why Kiri and Kumo were better off than them, but it still stung to admit they were backed into a corner in their own village. Combining those two with ROOT and–

The network healing was suddenly broken as she tucked and rolled out the way, just barely missing a powerful blow to the face. She skidded for a moment and reached into her pouch, but the second her fingertips brushed against the handle of her kunai, that same attack was launched her way again and she was forced to dodge once more.

_Shit._

* * *

Damn it.

If he was not mistaken, it was more than likely the final wave of enemies. The current wave was the most brutal. They bulldozed their way through their defences, tearing through them effortlessly. Gritting his teeth, he glanced in Sakura's direction, annoyed with himself for allowing an opening to her. He'd done his best to defend her and had done well until Kiri's ANBU became involved in the mix.

"_Katon…!"_

A Kiri-nin using fire style? While it wasn't unheard of, it _was_ unusual, for they usually favoured water style jutsu (obviously). For one of them to use it meant they were extremely confident in their abilities, meaning it was more than likely a deadly jutsu. And his heart lurched as he realised at the last moment _where_ the attack was being aimed. One of them had kept her distracted with his brute strength, pushing her back until she was much further away from the rest of them and Itachi was disgusted with himself for not noticing sooner. Now, the other one was about to attack from behind and from the chakra he could sense gathering, it was going to be devastating.

_Damn it!_

Sending chakra through his legs and to his feet, Itachi prepared himself to leap over to her. Even if it meant only having the time to shield her with his body, then that was what he had to do.

After all, Sakura was the future of–

"_Sakura,"_ he heard his brother yell, belatedly realising what was happening.

He wouldn't make it.

Her seal wasn't going to activate in time.

_This is why you shouldn't make any bonds._

It was like a bomb had gone off exactly where the attack landed, the resounding _boom_ echoing throughout the village, causing many heads to snap in their direction. He lifted his arms to protect his face and neck, though was unable to shut his eyes to the horror. The shock wave from the explosion flung many of them back and the only reason he wasn't thrown back was because of the chakra he'd earlier sent to his legs and feet, holding him in place. The flames engulfed her entirely and for a moment, all he could focus on was her piercing scream of pure agony, which he somehow managed to hear over the ringing in his ears. It almost brought him to his knees as the world around him stopped.

But then he was completely enraptured by the way she parted the flames with the shock waves of her punches, revealing a bloody, furious Haruno Sakura who was coated in a thick layer of water as she glared at the Kiri-nin menacingly. They could see the damage the explosion had inflicted, but they could also see that her wounds were already mostly healed, her seal standing out sharply against her pale skin.

Of course, he should have known Sakura wouldn't need saving, despite his heart begging him to do so. His partner was not a weak woman – she was one of the strongest he knew, if not _the_ strongest. His assistance was unnecessary. She didn't need him to come rushing to her aid.

As though hearing his thoughts and wanting to prove them correct, she shot out of the flames, the ground crumbling around her. Her fists were glowing blue, the look in her green eyes hard and unforgiving.

"_Don't come between me and my patients!"_

She came to a skidding halt, only pausing long enough to give her attacker a feral smirk before her fist was striking him. Then, she was gone again, appearing just below him and kicking him high up into the sky. Even from such a great distance, Itachi could hear his screams over the other sounds of battle.

"_Like hell I'm done with you yet!"_

There was no saving himself. No slowing his fall back to the earth. His death only became more imminent as Sakura came down on him from above, green eyes narrowed.

"_Bastard… Shannaro!"_

Clenching her fist, she swung it forward and even Itachi was unable to keep up with the speed her enemy fell back to the ground, a crater forming around him as he completely disappeared from sight.

She was breathing hard by the time she landed beside him, seal still standing out sharply against her skin.

"Forgive me, I-"

"Don't be sorry," she muttered, glancing around them. "I'm somehow managing to battle as well as heal the others via Katsuyu-sama."

"Is that a wise decision?" he questioned. It sounded like she was going to exhaust herself before the climax of the battle.

"This is war, Itachi," came her soft reply and when her eyes met his, he found himself nodding once. Sakura needn't say any more because he understood perfectly. She smiled. "Go."

He nodded once, accepting his orders. "Understood."


	54. Why Did I Let You Go?

**Chapter 54**

**Why Did I Let You Go?**

* * *

_Shit…_

Ignoring the aching of her body was becoming impossible. Chakra exhaustion was creeping up on her, the link between herself and Katsuyu sapping her of strength. Her attacks weren't as powerful as they usually were for fear of wasting chakra and she had a sinking feeling that she was going to be rendered useless long before the ambush was over.

They needed the evacuation to be complete. Only then could the village fight at its maximum strength. Only then would the deadliest of their shinobi be unleashed on the enemy – they wouldn't even know what hit them. Until then, they had to endure. It probably seemed ridiculous keeping their best assets out of the battle, but they had to. For the sake of the civilians who had yet to be evacuated. It was simply one of the rules they had to abide by. Fighting as fiercely as they currently were was already going against said rule. People like herself, Itachi, Shisui and even Sasuke shouldn't be involved already. The Kyuubi most definitely shouldn't be.

Her thigh stung horrifically as she skidded in the dirt, narrowly avoiding the barrage of kunai aiming for her. They were attacking her in platoons, having learned from their earlier mistakes of fighting her one-on-one. Not only was it pointless, but it was a waste of their numbers. All she could do in that moment was dodge their attacks. Going against so many was a waste of her own chakra – she wouldn't land any hits and any damage she sustained would be serious, meaning she would have no choice but to heal it immediately. Dodging was all she could do until she found her opening.

The biggest one was also the weakest, she soon discovered. While he surely dealt the greatest damage, he lacked the speed to keep up with his platoon. To try and resolve the issue, three others protected him while he attacked. There was still an opening, however. One of them wasn't a team player and while it wasn't obvious to an amateur, she spotted the tell-tale signs. If the guy saw an opening for her, he didn't think twice about taking it, going against the rest of the team's combo attacks. It seemed like part of the attack, but she could tell it wasn't from the subtle shifts in their dynamics. The one to the right had to readjust his positioning for the bigger attacks, whereas the one to the front often had to dodge at the last second to avoid being harmed.

Running further from her comrades wasn't an option. If she needed assistance then they wouldn't be capable of getting to her on time. They'd already pushed her back further than she felt comfortable with. Falling into a defensive stance, Sakura panted for breath, body ready for whatever attack they had waiting for her. There wasn't a chance to look around herself for the others – they were all too busy with their own battles.

How much longer could she withstand the assault? She'd already used Sōzō Saisei. The effects hadn't hit her yet, but she knew they would. Probably at the worst possible moment, too. It always did.

Narrowing her eyes on the other half of the platoon, she shifted in her stance. One of them was gathering a large amount of chakra – no doubt the big guy again. Taking him out was her main priority, but how? Getting through his bodyguards was proving to be a difficult, bordering on impossible, task.

She smirked, unnerving them.

It was a good thing she was persistent. Sakura simply wondered which would last longer: her persistence or her ability to move once the effects kicked in.

* * *

_Now!_

Ducking, she deflected the kunai aimed for her face, flicking the man between the eyes. He was thrown over the ledge of the platform, falling to his death, but she didn't focus on him as she spun, dealing another fatal blow to the fool attempting to sneak up on her.

The Uchiha brat was good – not that she'd ever doubted his ability. Unlike his older brother, who was naturally a genius, he had to work hard. She appreciated that about him. It was, perhaps, the only thing she respected about him, as harsh as that sounded. He pushed himself to get to where he was. He was also a major help to the battle. Someone she felt confident in. He would fight alongside her until the bloody end.

Everyone was evacuated from the hospital. That point was proven as the deadlier ANBU operatives made themselves known, taking only a second to assess the situation before they were launching their merciless attacks. Had it been herself giving the orders, she would have had them joining the battle long before now. However, she knew it was protocol. They had to ensure the villagers wouldn't be harmed. They were the main priority. After all, what was the point in saving their village if everyone died in the crossfire?

She darted through a large group of enemies, palms slamming at the backs of their necks. It took Uchiha a few seconds to realise what she had done, but once he had, he acted quickly, unleashing a devastating ball of fire that encased them.

"How long can you keep this up?" she asked him once they were given a moment to breathe. "If your stamina is anything like your brother's-"

Red and black eyes narrowed with annoyance, his upper lip curling as he muttered in response, "I am not my brother."

Oh? Tsunade smirked. Perhaps he would become more useful to the battle than she originally thought. "Very well." Addressing the slug on her shoulder, she asked, "How are they, Katsuyu?"

Having long lost her haori, the slug clung onto her shoulder the best she could during the battle. Usually, Katsuyu hid beneath it. There was no room for her to do that with Tsunade's shirt. "Rin-chan is unconscious, though almost healed. Sakura-chan has closed all wounds successfully and repaired her lungs."

"She drained them of the blood, too?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Due to being connected with the contract, and having opened a connection with the pair, Tsunade was capable of viewing every injury Katsuyu assisted with in terms of healing. "And Naruto?" She pretended not to notice the Uchiha's interest in her words. "How is he doing?"

"Although he received a deadlier blow, it appears the Kyuubi worked simultaneously with Sakura-chan and myself, Tsunade-sama. Without its assistance, I would never have allowed Sakura-chan to continue, as it would merely be a waste of chakra and potentially life draining for her."

Yes, that was what Tsunade had believed, too. Having no idea the Kyuubi would step in to help Naruto, she had been devastated upon seeing the damage. No-one could survive an attack like that. His chest was ripped open – the only thing keeping his organs inside being the way he landed and the way he was handled afterwards. His neck had been torn open, too. He'd been dead before he even hit the ground – or so she had thought. It seemed the Kyuubi had stemmed the bleeding from the moment he was struck. Was it self-defence? Did it do it for Naruto's sake?

It didn't matter. What mattered was that Naruto was going to make a full recovery. "Take Rin to the shelters where my patients are, Katsuyu. As for Naruto, take him to the previous Uchiha clan leaders. They will watch over him."

Rage flitted over Sasuke's features as he turned on her, snarling, "My father is in no fit state-"

"He is and will always be a valued member of Konoha," she cut him off firmly, honey brown eyes hardening on him. "Do not think that he is weak simply because he can no longer see. If anything, it makes him more dangerous, you fool."

"T-Tsunade-sama…"

"How the hell is he supposed to control the Kyuubi without his sharingan?" he demanded, fists clenching. "What if it takes over Naruto's body while he's so weakened? You're putting everyone in danger."

"Tsunade-sama…"

"I know what I'm doing," came her angered response. If that brat wasn't careful, he was going to be the next one flying over the ledge of the platform. She would take great pleasure in it, too. Smart mouthed brat. "You-"

"Tsunade-sama!" Katsuyu snapped, finally gaining their attention as they stared down at the slug in shock. "Naruto-kun is…"

"Is what?" Sasuke questioned, eyes widening slightly.

Was Tsunade imagining the open display of worry? She smirked at the sight and turned her back on him, sensing what was amiss through her connection to Katsuyu. Sitting down, she beckoned the ANBU ordered to protect her to come closer while she opened the healing network once more, eyes shutting in concentration.

"Don't worry, Uchiha," she told him smugly. "Naruto's alive."

He sheathed his katana and took a step towards her, though couldn't get any closer due to her guard. "Then what's going on?"

Her smirk widened. "He's pissed – that's what's happened."

Even though her eyes were shut and her back was to him, Tsunade could sense the deadpan on his face and it amused her to no end. "W-What?"

Their trump card was back in the game.

* * *

A loud yell of anger exploded from him as he launched himself towards the main battle, somehow finding the strength to finish his transformation by the time he reached them.

Using the tails of the Kyuubi, Naruto instructed them to restrain the struggling Nibi who'd caused his mother a world of pain, his blue eyes narrowed with hatred as his grip tightened.

"Naruto, you-"

He paid his mother no mind. Didn't give Shisui the time of day as the man offered his assistance. Like hell he needed help taking down the coward in his grip. She knew she was screwed if he transformed and as a jinchūriki herself, she knew how vulnerable they were while transforming. Naruto hadn't known until Gaara warned him about it – reminding him of the chūnin exams and the way Sasuke had broken his armour, cutting off the transformation before it was complete. Due to Sasuke's Chidori, Gaara had been helpless. Together, he and Gaara had been working on ways to complete the transformation without leaving themselves open and defenceless. They'd yet to find a way.

There was a cry of happiness behind him – no doubt his mother. Again, he didn't pay any attention and instead held out his hand, gaze settled on the murderous eyes of the Nibi.

"You hurt my mom," he muttered dangerously. "You killed Rin-o-nee-san."

"Bastard-"

"Shut the hell up," snapped Naruto and in response to his anger, the Kyuubi began powering up, opening its mouth threateningly. "I don't wanna hear it."

The struggling increased tenfold once the Nibi discovered what he was about to do, but still, it was nothing compared to his own strength.

"You came to _my_ village…"

In the Kyuubi's mouth, a great ball began to form.

"You hurt _my_ friends…"

He grit his teeth against the monstrous strength and in a bid to keep the damage to his own village minimal, he raised the Nibi into the air, staring up at it coldly.

_"I won't ever forgive that!"_

He couldn't hear the relieved cheering of his comrades as the beast bomb slammed into the Nibi, sending it soaring into the sky and way out of the village. The following explosion was enough to knock many off their feet, but he was quick to catch the flying shinobi with his tails, easing them down safely.

"We should assist Gai-san and Lee-kun," his mother chimed in quietly.

It was odd seeing her use the Kyuubi transformation. Until that point, she had never seen eye-to-eye with the Kyuubi. She wasn't able to wield its power without losing consciousness. Yet she was standing before him, standing eye level with him, with those big violet eyes.

"Let's go."

* * *

Naruto was awake.

Weakly, Sakura smiled.

_Thank the Gods…_

Suddenly, she winced, willing the cramping muscles to hold off for just a little while longer. The battle would soon be over. They would have their victory. But… _Darkness…_ It was approaching so fast. There was no way for her to avoid it. And with the way her body ached so viciously she didn't want to avoid it. She wanted to accept it with open arms.

It was sloppily how she dodged a blow to the face and she winced as she felt several hairs being yanked from her scalp. _Be quicker_, she willed herself. _Just a little while longer_, she assured her body.

Several times, she caught Itachi's eye. Several times, he tried so hard to make it to her. Every time, however, he was stopped. Every time, her hope began to chip away. But now Naruto was alive. It would soon be over.

The breath was ripped out of her viciously as a foot connected with her stomach and Sakura was helpless against the force that sent her through the air. Enhanced strength – it wasn't mastered, for the attack was far too sloppy, but it was enough against her weakened state. She couldn't defend against it. There was too much going on, too many things sucking her chakra reserves dry.

For a moment, she was certain she'd landed on the ground. It was impossible, though. Wasn't it? She couldn't possibly land that softly after such a powerful attack. For her to only realise she was on the ground by feeling the grains of–

Sand.

For a split second, Sakura despaired at the sight of sand. For a split second, she thought another village had come to take them down.

But then she was being placed on the ground gently, a blonde appearing by her side and yanking her to her feet, teal eyes full of fury as she demanded, "What the hell are you playing at, huh? Get your ass in gear and defend your village!"

"_Tsunade-sama has done it. The evacuation has been completed,"_ she heard somebody yell for everyone to hear. "_No more holding back!"_

Looking over her shoulder, Sakura watched as ANBU revealed themselves, immediately putting themselves to use as they launched their deadliest attacks without hesitation.

_No more holding back._

Gods, she hoped her body could handle it.

Nodding once to Temari and smiling in thanks, Sakura shut her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her mind. The pain was excruciating, but like the blonde said: she had to defend her village. They were relying on her to protect them. It was a risky gamble trying to use chakra in her weakened state, but what choice did she have? She had to push through. Had to persevere.

_Had to keep hitting!_

Green eyes snapped open, full of fury.

"_Shannaro!"_

* * *

They made it just in time. Barely.

Curling his hand into a tight fist, he ordered his sand to capture the Kumo-nin, watching with morbid fascination how their bodies were slowly crushed in his grip, their blood being absorbed by the sand, turning many of the grains a dark shade of red. He had a great fraction of them already.

"_Shannaro!"_

Glancing down, he found himself somewhat surprised by the growth in Haruno's strength. Almost like Naruto's, it seemed to be never ending. They all assumed she was at her limit, that there was no improving, but then she broke through that glass ceiling, leaving it to fall in giant shards on those who doubted her.

She spun on her toes, leg swinging through the air until it landed a powerful kick on an unsuspecting enemy. Haruno Sakura was certainly a formidable opponent, Gaara decided. One he wouldn't mind battling himself. It would be an interesting spar and perhaps he could even find ways of improving his own techniques.

He didn't have time to admire others' strength. Facing his trembling enemies once more, Gaara smirked. The beast inside him was screeching with eagerness, shaking the bars on its cage. He could sense that his sand had completed its duties, allowing him to feel every grain it had created.

It was over for them.

"_Move!"_ he heard his brother ordering of the Konoha-nin. "_Get the fuck outta here if you value your lives!"_

Never breaking eye contact with the enemy before him, Gaara slowly raised his hands and with the movement, the ground below him began quaking menacingly, rupturing in several places. The second the openings were revealed, devastating amounts of sand was lurching to the sky, grabbing the enemy shinobi on its way to him.

There was no escaping the cries of hundreds who were lost to his sand.

* * *

"He'll assist Naruto now," Temari informed her as she breathed out a deep sigh, relaxing though not entirely. A kunoichi of her calibre would never let her guard down. Facing her, she asked, "What are our orders?"

Oh? Temari was relinquishing control to her allies? That was so unlike her. Then again, she probably felt guilty for her previous actions. For their battle. "I'm not the one to give orders-"

"Yes, you are," she cut her off, eyes narrowing. "Tell me what we should do from here."

Looking around them, Sakura could see that her comrades were busy with taking the wounded to Tsunade. From their connection via Katsuyu she could sense the woman continuing with the healing network. She could also sense that her shishou had plenty of chakra to spare, unlike herself, who was running dangerously low.

"Sakura."

She glanced at her lover, green eyes quick to assess his wounds. There was nothing serious, but still, she placed her hand to his chest, sending a burst chakra throughout his body to ensure he was okay. Thankfully, he was, and she shut her eyes momentarily, releasing a deep sigh of relief. He was okay. They would all be okay.

"What should we do from here?" he enquired, hand briefly touching hers before they fell to their respective sides, untouching.

It irked Sakura how they were looking to her for their orders. They were supposed to follow Minato, or their captains. Why her all of a sudden? "I don't know about you, but I'm going to help my team," she told them, green eyes narrowing. "That idiot Naruto shouldn't be going all out after such a serious injury – it'll take all the chakra I have left to heal any damage this battle of his causes."

"Which is why Gaara has gone to fight with him," Temari stated. The large fan in her hands slammed into the ground, her grip on the top of it tightening. "If you're going to join in with _that_ battle, then I'm coming, too. It's going to be like a royal rumble for monsters."

Wait, was Temari saying…?

Teal eyes shot to the left, rolling as she muttered under her breath, "He's always so impatient."

Fear shot up and down her spine as the Ichibi's raw power exploded around them, threatening to send her flying, his humongous form and scream of freedom causing her chest to constrict, her eyes to widen in pure horror, made her hands shake. Weakly, her arms shielded her face and neck from the flying debris, though slowly lowered to grant her a sight of a fully transformed Ichibi.

The last time she'd seen that thing…

"Don't falter," Temari ordered from beside her. "Gaara's in full control of Shukaku now."

Even from his place several metres away from them, Kankuro agreed with a loud, "They're even stronger now that they're working together."

But why would he unleash it in the middle of the village? There was already so much damage. How could he risk Konoha like that? Why? Just as the thoughts entered her mind, she reminded herself of how vulnerable Naruto was during his transformation. Even with experience in transforming, was it the same for Gaara? Was he equally vulnerable?

It didn't matter.

"Considering there are two of them now, Itachi, I think you should come with us. Shisui has already used his mangekyō to assist Kushina-sama. Are you capable of using yours for Naruto?"

"I can try," he murmured, the tomoe swirling into their new design. It still looked so foreign on him, but at the same time, it felt familiar. It made her feel safe.

She smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

They were under attack as soon as they arrived.

Ducking beneath the object launched her way, Sakura shot up, swinging her fist forward so that the shock wave of her chakra could shatter the boulder flying their way. The second it was in pieces, Temari came in from below, her fan making the air around them become distorted as it threw the debris back at the attacker, impaling them.

The other jinchūriki seemed to understand what they were trying to achieve, so did everything he could to prevent it. To make matters worse: there were more Kumo-nin around. These ones were fighting alongside the Hachibi. Why hadn't they defended the Nibi?

"I'll make an opening for you to get to Naruto," Sakura yelled over her shoulder at Itachi, already running forward.

Somehow, Kushina lost her control of the transformation. She was seated not far from the battle, breathing heavily and nodding at something Shisui was saying to her. He was standing several feet in front of her, his mangekyō standing out hauntingly on the battlefield. He was assessing Naruto's movements critically, waiting in case he was needed. No doubt he'd told Shisui to take care of Kushina rather than aid him.

He needn't worry, really. Together, Naruto and Gaara were an admirable team. Somehow, they were in perfect sync with their attacks, forcing the Hachibi back, the damage they caused it with each attack filling her with wary hope.

She dropped to the ground, fingers scraping at the dirt when a Kumo-kunoichi thought she found an opening. Then, not caring for how dirty the move was, she flung said dirt into the woman's brown eyes. Nothing was keeping her from getting to Naruto. Nothing. Within a second, Sakura swung her left leg around, knocking the blinded woman to the ground and while she was disorientated, she ended it with a single blow to the head.

Side stepping another's attack, Sakura raised her hand, creating a gun with her fingers, one she didn't hesitate to use once her finger was aligned with the guy's face. The water bullet ended it quickly, but she didn't stick around to watch him fall to the ground.

_Create an opening!_

She clenched her fist tightly and threw it forward, sending out another shock wave. Many fell victim to her brute strength and for those who miraculously continued to stand, Temari was quick to dispatch of, snarling as she swung her deadly fan, forcing them out of the way.

"Go," she ordered of them, already swinging her fan behind her in preparation for another attack. "Don't let that thing harm my baby brother."

Nodding, she ran ahead, flinging whatever weapons she had left at those she deemed unworthy of her chakra. For those extra troubling opponents, she merely used her water gun to get rid of them. Whatever happened, Itachi couldn't use any chakra until he was up there with Naruto. The mangekyō was a massive drain on his chakra.

Noticing someone running straight for her, more than likely preparing to shoulder barge her out of the way to stop the rampage, Sakura took a deep breath and leaped once they were close enough, spinning over their charging body until she landed firmly onto the ground. Never pausing for a second, she spun and planted a hand to the ground, kicking the attacker in the back of the head just as he set his eyes on Itachi.

"Now, Itachi," she yelled over the sounds of the three beasts fighting.

Gods, it was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. They were tearing chunks out of each other, randomly firing beast bombs that never actually hit their opponents. Gaara seemed to be the most ruthless out of the three, whereas the Hachibi was in perfect sync with his jinchūriki. Naruto, however… It was obvious that he was new to the transformation. Some of his attacks were sloppy. They were full of openings.

She assumed he would go straight to Naruto. Instead, however, Itachi grabbed her wrist, tugging Sakura against him as his lips pressed to her forehead, eyes shutting.

"I love you."

And then, just as her ears popped and began to ring following a deafening _bang_, just as the air grew dramatically hotter around them and her skin began to blister, he disappeared from her grip and shoved her back with chakra enhanced strength, leaving her to reach out brokenly, to cry out his name desperately. All she could see was sand rushing towards her and the other Konoha-nin, enclosing them inside the safety of Shukaku's Ultimate Defence, all the while her lover disappeared amongst the explosion, lost within the three tailed beasts and their colliding beast bombs.

"_Itachi!"_


	55. And the People Bowed and Prayed

**Chapter 55**

**And The People Bowed And Prayed**

* * *

The world around her was blurred when she eventually became aware of herself. She was standing with the others inside of Shukaku's Ultimate Defence, unable to fully process what she'd just witnessed. Everyone else was finding something to do with themselves, were preparing themselves to go straight back into the battle. They were moving in fast forward around her, leaving her to stand there helplessly, staring at the blurred spot where she'd previously seen Itachi.

_Itachi._

"Sakura…"

A horrible pain in her chest had her knees dropping to the ground.

She didn't see the Sand Siblings exchanging wary, somewhat sympathetic glances. Didn't feel the gesture of Temari placing a hand on her shoulder. They were telling her they were sorry, but all Sakura could focus on were the sounds of the battle resuming behind the wall of sand like nothing significant had even happened. Like they hadn't just made the man she loved collateral damage.

_He saved her._ Why did it feel so… familiar? Why did it feel like déjà vu?

"We will watch over Haruno-senpai," someone said from behind her. She was guessing it to be ANBU, since it had Temari and Kankuro backing away with a nod. Due to the circumstances, it was understandable that they would be wary of leaving her in the watch of another village. Once the siblings were gone, she heard the same person say to whoever was with him, "Is she fully conscious?"

They must have shaken their head, because their reply was, "Who'd have thought Uchiha-senpai and Haruno-senpai were so close?"

"There have been rumours-"

"Enough."

The new voice finally had her numbness fading, had tears filling her eyes as the owner of said voice knelt before her, her eyes zeroing in on his dark ones. They were filled with similar pain and her heart broke as she recalled his sharingan being activated during the…

The tears fell. "I-Itachi is…"

Shisui nodded. "I tried to-" He cut himself off, looking away with a scowl. "I couldn't get to him. There was too much commotion for me to be able to-"

"Don't," she whispered, hands finding his with the last of her strength. "You don't have to explain to me. Not when all I could do was watch it happen."

There was a pause, one where he regarded her seriously, brokenly. It was clear to her that he was experiencing the same crushing grief as herself, but she had no idea what to do to comfort him. She didn't even know what to do with herself. Couldn't think of her next move. Couldn't think of how to move her body anymore. She felt like the beast bomb had killed her, too.

As though he could sense her composure slipping away from her, Shisui surprised her by reaching out, all but yanking her to his chest. Strong arms wrapped around her, the mixture of blood, sweat and smoke assaulting her senses. It felt so familiar, like they'd been in a similar position before. Had they? Had there ever been a moment, _together_, where they were certain they'd lost Itachi? She couldn't recall. It didn't seem to bother him that she couldn't react to the hug. Didn't upset him that she couldn't return it. For the longest time, all Sakura was capable of doing was staring at the crumbling wall of sand, the tears that were stinging her eyes unable to fall.

_Shinobi should not show–_

"Let it out, Sakura," Shisui mumbled into her hair, his chest shaking for a moment like he was struggling to breathe.

She couldn't.

She couldn't let go.

If she let go, she would revert back to the state she'd been in before Itachi came along. She would become weak once more. Unable to take care of herself. It would be like everything she'd accomplished since Ino's death, all her hard work, all the time Itachi, Tsunade and everyone else had put into training her, was for nothing. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't let him down.

_She couldn't let his death be for nothing._

Without uttering a word to Shisui, she broke out of his hold, her sudden burst of rage granting her new strength.

"Sakura-"

"_Itachi…"_ She reached into her pouch and took out a soldier pill, popping it into her mouth without hesitation. As soon as she felt the effects of the pill kicking in, chakra flooded her left arm, fist clenching tightly.

"Sakura, don't-"

"Like hell I'm accepting you've left me!" she snarled, shooting forward.

At her last burst of anger and strength, many seemed to follow suit, with Shisui leading the way alongside Sakura as he caught up to her, saying something she didn't bother trying to understand. The three beasts were still at it, but it was clear to her that Naruto was losing energy fast, that Gaara was having to pick up his slack – something that tired him out, from the looks of things. The beast clung to a broken piece of earth, soon flinging itself towards the Hachibi once it spotted her.

Skidding in a sudden change of direction and ignoring the feeling of dirt building up beneath her nails, Sakura launched herself towards the Hachibi, gritting her teeth. There was no hesitation in sending chakra to her feet, in leaping up onto the beast's back. Hopefully, due to it being busy with the other two, it wouldn't even notice her. Hopefully, she could complete her task of… She wasn't even sure _what_ her plan was. Just that she had to do _something._ She had to hurt the bastard. There was no worry for her own safety, no fear about what would happen should the Hachibi find out about her. No, Sakura was far too concerned with staying on the beast's back and continuing her dead sprint towards its head when it suddenly spun to avoid an attack.

_Don't grip at its skin,_ she told herself. _Use chakra to stay on. Like walking on waves._

She didn't ask herself what Itachi would do in her situation. She couldn't distract herself with the vicious pain in her heart. She had to finish the battle. Had to keep fighting. Had to be strong for the villagers who were relying on her.

_Had to make his death worth something!_

With one last leap, Sakura was above the beast, eyes narrowing and fist glowing blue with chakra as she descended on it, weighed down by the immense chakra gathered in her fist.

"_Shannaro!"_

The punch had the beast's head hitting the ground with a deafening _slam_, had the people who re-joined the battle knocked off their feet or sent flying through the air with the shock waves of the attack. Others were smart enough to run away as the ground further shattered around them, as the earth opened up. Dirt, smoke and debris covered everything for what felt like a lifetime and she used the cover to put distance between herself and the Hachibi, hands going through the seals necessary to summon Katsuyu.

"Your chakra–"

"I know," she said through gritted teeth, willing herself to hold out just a little bit longer. "But we're needed right now, Katsuyu-sama."

Instead of arguing like she thought the summon would, Katsuyu nodded once, her tentacles dipping with acceptance. "What do you need?"

"Spray it with acid while its down there."

Again, there was another nod before her summon was rushing forward, much faster than others thought possible for a slug, and once she was close enough, she sprayed the Hachibi with a devastating amount of acid, never letting up until she was certain she'd got him. But there wasn't enough time to vacate the area as several tails suddenly shot out of the crater, wrapping around Katsuyu's body with a deadly grip. The slug struggled valiantly, her body shuddering and small noises of discomfort left her.

"Sa…"

The air was shifting… Narrowing her eyes, she noticed sand shooting towards her. "Do it, Katsuyu-sama."

"Yes, Sakura-sama."

It didn't occur to her that she was addressed as such until she was already on the sand platform, being taken to Shukaku. Had she heard that correctly? Had Katsuyu truly addressed her so highly? Her fingers gripped at the ledge, green eyes widening as she witnessed Katsuyu burst into hundreds of smaller versions of herself, surprising the Hachibi long enough for Naruto to rush in and grab at its tails, yanking it out of the hole and slamming it down onto the ground. From her position, she couldn't see his expression, but Sakura could sense his killing intent.

"Do it, Naruto," said the Ichibi behind her, the voice a mixture of Gaara's and Shukaku's. "Finish him."

He was going to do it. The beast bomb was forming in the mouth of the Kyuubi, its head tipping back to accommodate the powerful ball. But instead of continuing like she thought he would, the attack dissipated without warning, Katsuyu springing up between them.

"Katsuyu-sama, get out of there!" Sakura screamed over the howling wind.

"Forgive me, Sakura-sama," the slug said apologetically, head dipping. "But this will only make things worse."

What? But she was just on their side! "You-"

"Please, listen to me," she begged. "Tsunade-sama contacted me via our contract. Naruto-kun, you have already defeated the Nibi. That is one less jinchūriki in Kumo and they will be unhappy about it. But should you kill the Raikage's brother, then Konoha will have no choice but to go to war."

"We're already at war–"

"No, you're not," argued Katsuyu, speaking directly to Gaara. "This is a fierce battle, yes. It was an ambush, yes. But it is an ambush _meant_ to start a war. This is not an actual Shinobi World War yet – it doesn't have to be."

She… had a point. Both Katsuyu and Tsunade did. But Itachi was dead because of them. He had been killed. That was never going to be okay. There wasn't even a body to bury. She couldn't say goodbye. There was no way they could get any closure.

"Katsuyu-sama is right," a voice yelled from below them and as she peeked over the edge of the sand platform, she saw Shisui standing on the ground, his hand raising over his eyes to block out the sun. "Not only that, but I know this isn't what Itachi would want. Sakura, you know it, too. You know in your heart that this wasn't the kind of person-"

"Itachi's dead," she screamed right back, unable to stop the tears gathering in her eyes. "The Hachibi killed him-"

"He was standing directly in the middle of all three," he argued calmly and, much to her horror, the sand platform began to lower, taking her closer to Shisui. When she was close enough to see his expression, her heart sunk at the sight of his bloodshot eyes, at his severely bitten lip. It looked as though he'd done all he could to keep himself calm, because Shisui was known for his levelheadedness. He had to remain that way in front of his comrades, who all looked up to him.

"But this wouldn't have happened-"

"Sakura."

As the sand crumbled from beneath her once she was close enough to him, Shisui caught her effortlessly, setting her down on her feet.

"Do not allow hatred to consume you," he quietly pleaded, hands coming to each side of her head when she tried to avert her gaze. "Itachi loved you so much. You were one of – if not _the_ most dearest person to him in his life. He would not want this. Not when he knew you're capable of rising above all of this mess." There was no stopping her tears as she was forced to keep eye contact, as she was forced to see all of her friend's pain. She could see her own reflected in his eyes and _Gods,_ she couldn't breathe. "Do not lose yourself – don't lose woman he loved more than anything."

She couldn't help but sob and Shisui caught her when her legs threatened to give out on her, holding her close.

So he hadn't been joining the battle like she originally thought. Instead, Shisui had been trying to stop her. In her mind, during her rage, she thought he was feeling the same way. She thought he wanted vengeance, too. But of course, Shisui wouldn't lose his head like that. And he was right. Itachi was in the middle of all three attacks. His death was a combination of all three beast bombs colliding. And Sakura knew Naruto would live with that guilt for the rest of his life, knowing he'd not only killed his best friend's brother, but he'd also taken away her love.

It was only when he'd gotten through to her that Sakura caught sight of the damage created from their battle. Long gone was the forest surrounding the opening of their village, the once beautiful scenery decimated by their anger and hatred. There was nothing left and it had her heart sinking at the mere thought of the state of their home.

The sight of Konoha would have devastated him.

"I want him back," she whispered brokenly. "W-We… didn't have enough t-time."

"I know," he replied, voice gruff. "But know that he loved you, Sakura. He loved you so much."

There was no telling how the battle ended, not when she was too tied up in her grief to pay any attention any more. She was grateful when Shisui took her away from the battlefield just in time for the others to swarm it, helping their comrades or making sure the enemy had truly retreated from their village. Those who were in the shelters wouldn't leave for a whole day once the battle had ended, just to ensure their safety.

She wasn't sure how much time passed when Naruto came looking for her, his face a mess of blood, tears and dirt. For the longest time they sat in silence, with him knowing there was no way of apologising for what had happened, but after a while, he tried anyway.

"Sakura-chan, I'm-" It hurt to hear Naruto's voice break, to visibly see how wounded he was with his actions. "I tried to stop it. I tried to grab him. I just-" There was a broken sob. "I couldn't get to him in time. I'm so sorry."

"What?"

A new wave of grief washed over her as Shisui quickly stood from his perch on a piece of rubble, as he approached the younger Uchiha warily. He held out his hands to him, his expression one of pain and regret, but at the sight of it, Sasuke took a step back, his brows mashing together angrily.

"No," he argued before they could say anything. "No, he's not."

"Sasuke, I'm sorry," Shisui whispered. "He's gone. Itachi's de-"

"Don't fucking finish that sentence," came his vicious snarl, katana swinging through the air. "Itachi isn't dead." His hand was steady, the grip on his katana never faltering for a second. "Sakura."

She looked over in his direction, taking in his tattered, blood soaked uniform. His features told her of his defiance, of his refusal to believe their words. Gods, she wished she could tell him it was all a lie. She wished she could tell him that Itachi was okay. That he was still with them. That he was going to grow old with her and… and–

The crumbling of her features had him shakily lowering the katana from Shisui's throat. "Itachi is…"

He turned, doubling over as he emptied the contents of his stomach, the sound of his strained, barely there whimper shattering her heart beyond repair. She had to look away from him, her knees coming up to her chest, arms wrapping around them tightly. _He's gone. _Resting her forehead on her knees, Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, willing her heart to stop aching so horrifically. Ino's death had devastated her – it'd broken her. But Itachi's… It felt different, like there was no coming back from it. Like she'd experienced a snippet of the pain before so knew how badly it was destroying her inside. And what scared her the most was that she didn't have the energy to fight it. She didn't care because he was gone.

There was a commotion behind her and she could hear Sasuke snapping at Shisui, demanding to know what happened. He wanted to know what managed to take down the seemingly undefeatable Uchiha Itachi. Naruto stood up at his yelling, though was frozen for a moment. She couldn't sense him moving. Maybe he was scared of telling Sasuke the truth? Maybe he was hesitating because he didn't know _how_ to tell him? She propped her chin onto her knees and stared at her teammate with heavy eyes. Could she ever forgive him? Honestly, Sakura wasn't sure. She _knew_ it was accidental and she _knew_ he would've done everything possible to save him. But that voice in the back of her head continued to hiss that it didn't matter. No matter how hard he tried, he _didn't_ save him. Itachi died trying to assist him.

"_Sasuke, calm down–"_

"_Get the hell off me!"_

"_Stop it,"_ Shisui finally snapped, yanking the thrashing Uchiha to a halt. "_Calm yourself. You–"_

Somehow, he got away, falling to his knees before her, bringing her attention away from Naruto as she focused on his features. They were twisted with grief and rage, the mixture of emotions and the trauma making the tomoe in his sharingan spin. The numbness truly was back, as she didn't feel anything at all when she witnessed the tomoe swirl into a new design. Was it because it was so predictable?

"Sakura."

After all her training with Itachi, she didn't hesitate to hold his gaze, though fortunately she didn't have to put any of that training to use, as he merely watched her, his eyes searching her face for traces of hope. When he found none, his eyes dropped to the ground, eyebrows mashing together and biting down on his lip harshly.

"Was it…" Briefly, he met her eye, but quickly looked away, trying to keep his composure. "Where is he? He wasn't just left-"

"No," she croaked. Like hell she would've left him there alone. "There was nothing left."

Sasuke shut his eyes, expression one of pain and through gritted teeth he let out a faint noise that she couldn't fully identify. It sounded like a mixture of a muffled shout and a cry. Whatever it was, it signified his agony – one he was trying so desperately hard to hide from the world. It was too intense, though. Just one look at his face told her that.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Naruto murmured, head bowed. "I'm sorry."

Just as his head snapped up, just as those red and black eyes narrowed dangerously, just as realisation had him slowly turning, a dark, murderous intent filling the air around them, threatening to suffocate them all, she heard something that had her blood running cold. It was something that had her instantly on her feet, wide green eyes meeting Shisui's.

"_The Hokage is missing," _someone cried in utter despair. "_Anybody who can move will aid in the search!"_

And she couldn't do anything more than watch as her best friend's world fell apart.

* * *

It had been two days since the battles ended. Two days since the death of her lover. Two days since their Hokage disappeared seemingly without a trace.

Kushina had been inconsolable, all but tearing the village apart on the first day trying to find her beloved husband. She didn't care about his position as Hokage (deep down she probably did, but not entirely), she just wanted her husband home. On the second day, when it was painfully obvious Minato was no longer in the village, she demanded they gave chase because the enemy _had_ to have him. He wouldn't leave them. _He couldn't die._

Then, there was Naruto. She didn't know where to start.

For as long as she could, Sakura aided in the search, joining what was left of her former ANBU squad to try and find their Hokage. She couldn't have her current squad search for him because their captain was still unconscious and her teammates couldn't be within a mile of each other without Sasuke trying to rip Naruto's throat out. But when Tsunade realised Sakura was still up and about, the blonde dragged her away from the search party (proof of how weak she'd become was the fact her shishou didn't even have to use chakra to restrain her) and forced her to rest in the shelters. Much to her horror, when Tsunade placed her with her family, they were seated with the Uchiha Clan. It was cowardly, but Sakura pretended to lose consciousness, unable to face Itachi's parents.

Shisui had already informed the pair, taking them aside and telling them how sorry he was. There was nothing any of them could have done, he all but whispered, choking up. Sasuke was forced to join the clan once the others realised how bad things were between him and Naruto. The second they heard the news and felt the killing intent radiating from the young Uchiha who was preparing himself to attack the blond, they decided the best thing to do was to keep them separated, leaving Naruto under the protection of ANBU's finest.

Soon enough, however, she couldn't fake anymore. She had to face reality. Mebuki was fussing over her once they realised she was awake, ignoring the fact her daughter didn't reciprocate her affections. All Sakura could do was stare up at the jagged ceiling, willing herself not to break down.

"Oh, Sakura," Mebuki whispered, stroking her cheek. "It's okay to be upset. You loved him."

No. It wasn't okay to be upset. Not when his parents were holding themselves together so admirably. They were caring for their clan, ensuring Sasuke remained calm and saying with their presence alone that those in the shelters were safe with their clan around. Their current patriarch may be gone, but he went out with honour. It took three tailed beasts to defeat him, she'd heard one of the younger Uchiha saying proudly, puffing his chest out as he boasted to the children.

Slowly, weakly, she tried to sit up, but it wasn't until her father helped that she was able to. He tried to lay her back down when she winced, hissing at the cramping of her muscles, but she waved him off. It was something she had to do. Something she needed to do. So, on unsteady legs and ignoring the side affects of Sōzō Saisei, she forced herself to stand, holding onto the rough wall. Her heavy green eyes were focused on the main family of the Uchiha Clan, their proud features scarily blank as they stared out ahead of themselves.

They were forced to acknowledge her when Sakura stood before them, swaying in her place momentarily. Sasuke's eyes narrowed on her, Mikoto's saddened. Fugaku remained motionless despite the fact she knew he could sense her presence.

"I…" The words died on her tongue as the chatter surrounding them vanished. Everyone was focused on her, their attention making her acutely aware of the tears stinging her eyes. "It's my fault."

"Sakura-"

She shook her head at Sasuke, eyes squeezing shut. "They were looking to me for orders – I-Itachi wanted me to take the lead. And I messed up." They were stunned when she lowered herself to her knees, forehead almost touching the ground. With her hair shielding her features, she allowed her tears to fall. "I told him to assist Naruto with his mangekyō. I'm the one who sent him to that…" It didn't matter to her that her voice was cracking under the pressure of her emotions. Didn't matter that she could barely breathe. "I sent him out to the battle knowing how dangerous it was. I'm the one who couldn't find an opening for him. I'm the one he shoved out of the way and took the attack for._ It's all my fault!"_

"Stop it."

The hold on the back of her shirt was rough as she was forced to sit up, her features pitiful as she gazed at the blurred figure of the former patriarch. Tears streamed down her cheeks, the sight surely unpleasant.

"Itachi told us time and time again you are no weak woman, Haruno," he muttered, grip tightening. "Do not make my son a liar."

"Oi, let go of her. She's grieving-"

"She is also a shinobi," Fugaku snapped, uncaring of how rudely he cut her father off. He stood to his full height, bringing her with him. When she stood on shaking legs, he continued to hold onto her, his expression one of annoyance. "One powerful enough to capture Itachi's attention. He taught you all he knew. He guided you. Do not make all his efforts for nothing. That is something I will not tolerate."

"But, I-Itachi is…"

There was a pause in his reply, his hand shaking momentarily and the open display of emotion took her breath away. "Itachi will always be my son – I will always be proud of the man he became. He chose you to become our clan's future matriarch. Although the wedding never happened, you are still a part of this clan."

Standing, Mikoto placed a hand on Fugaku's shoulder. "What my husband is trying to say, Sakura, is that we have yet to be disappointed by you. Please, don't start now. Our clan needs strength – something we know you have plenty of."

What? "Y-You still want…?"

"Sasuke will need guidance," she continued quietly. "Guidance, we believe, that should only come from the woman his older brother loved fiercely enough to give his life to protect."

Of course. Sasuke _had_ to become the patriarch now that his older brother was gone. Fugaku was still unable to lead the clan, believing himself to be weakened due to the loss of his sight.

Ignoring the pain her body was in, she tried her best to stand tall, nodding once at their expectant features.

"I promise I'll do my best to guide him."

"Good. I like to believe this is what Itachi would want," she whispered, unable to speak louder.

Nodding, Sakura opened her mouth, about to ask something, only to be cut off by an Uchiha who came bursting into the shelters, eyes wide and face flushed as he barely managed to wheeze out, "I have completed the count, Fugaku-sama. There are a total of one hundred and twenty-seven dead. One person is missing."

His head tilted in the boy's direction. "Name."

"Uchiha Obito."

* * *

Both Minato and Obito were gone – she knew it was connected somehow. It wasn't just a coincidence. Several people were missing, but soon after being labelled as missing, they were declared dead, their bodies hidden amongst the destruction and the rubble.

Why were they both missing? Sitting down, Sakura glanced around herself, heart heavy and forcing her to bite down on her lip to try and suppress her emotions. Minato had his Hiraishin no Jutsu, meaning he could have possibly teleported himself and Obito away from the village as long as he'd marked the area previously, but they already had ANBU scouring all known markings for their Hokage. So far, nothing.

And what reason would Minato have to teleport the pair of them away from the village? Knowing ANBU, they would've wanted to remove any threats towards the village – as much as it hurt to admit it: Obito _was_ a big threat. From what she'd seen of it, his murderous rampage was unstoppable. ANBU had taken it upon themselves to take him out, only to be stopped by their Hokage, who ordered them to stand down. Obito was _his_ student, therefore _his_ responsibility. They knew Minato was going soft on him, but…

Green eyes squeezed shut.

Their village was going to fall apart. There was no escaping it. Their Hokage was gone. Uchiha Itachi – one of the most likely to become the _next_ Hokage – was also gone. Kakashi was _still_ unconscious. A great number of their forces had been killed during the attack. It didn't leave a lot of options and it took away so much stability.

"Come, Sakura," somebody said behind her. "You shouldn't be alone out here."

She ignored Neji even as he came to stand directly behind her. As always, his presence was intimidating, but she found it didn't affect her half as much as it used to. Perhaps she'd known him too long? Perhaps she could no longer feel intimidation after experiencing so much pain? Was she exhausted? Mentally drained? It was possible, she supposed.

The weather was dreary. It was neither sunny nor cloudy, leaving them all to wonder which way it would go later in the day. Would they be blessed with sunshine as they worked tirelessly to repair the damages? Would they be cursed with rain? There were too many questions for her now and she found herself taking deeper breaths, subconsciously trying to calm down.

"You are needed in the village."

What use was she? There were barely a few drops of chakra left in her reserves. She couldn't bring down ruined buildings to make room for new ones. She couldn't heal anyone. She could barely even walk thirty feet without growing lightheaded from the exertion. She used way too much chakra during the battle and now that it was over, she was useless.

"Leave me," she ordered quietly.

"No."

Her eyebrow twitched, but she didn't speak again, choosing to remain silent. If Neji was going to stand there all day, then so be it. It wasn't going to bother her. Not when her mind was occupied with other things.

According to Gaara, the place she was sat was the exact location the three beast bombs collided, causing an explosion so great that the beasts nearly wiped themselves out. Shukaku's Ultimate Defence barely made it through the attack and was destroyed easily with her weakened punch.

The Sand Siblings continued to stay in Konoha, watching out for attacks while they were so weak. Their Kazekage had even sent out a few platoons of Suna-nin to try and aid them.

Sakura opened her eyes and looked to the bottom of the crater she was kneeling in, her fingers grazing the damaged soil. She was betting the grass would never grow back the same, if it did at all, after the holes were filled in by someone with the earth style. It would always be a reminder of how much they lost. Of how much _she_ lost.

They barely had any time together. Amongst all the arguments and the heartbreak, the confusion and the wary hope, they barely had any time to simply explore their relationship as an ordinary man and woman. There was always something that needed doing – always a mission that needed their assistance, or a clan that required their undivided attention.

It felt like she was too tired to even cry, so Sakura did nothing more than stare down at the blackened dirt that resembled charcoal more than anything.

"He's really gone, isn't he?"

The new voice had her eyes shutting again. She'd promised her she would protect Itachi with everything she had. She promised to stand by his side and aid in leading the clan. Not even an hour later and he was dead.

"Is this…?" The words died on her tongue as she came to stand beside Sakura, arm wrapped around her middle. She was probably still tender from the attack she'd taken, though Sakura couldn't find the strength to care or try to heal her. She couldn't even nod. "Haruno, I-"

"Perhaps it would be best to leave," came Neji's cool order. "She's in no fit state to converse with you right now."

But Neji went ignored as the woman knelt in front of Sakura, her eyebrows knitting together uncertainly. Her eyes searched her features – what she was trying to find was a mystery to her.

"Don't let this break you," she told her seriously, almost pleadingly. "You promised-"

"I promised to protect him," Sakura muttered and finally met her eye, ignoring the responding flinch at her next words, "And now Itachi is dead."

"He-"

"Wouldn't want this?" she questioned, laughing once humourlessly, brokenly. How many times had she heard that? "No, he wouldn't. But he didn't want to die, either. He wanted to protect our village, Izumi. He wanted to have a future. With me. He put his faith in me and I-" Sakura sucked in a sharp breath and tilted her head back, willing herself to remain strong. "I failed him."

Tears filled her eyes – the first sign of weakness she'd ever truly witnessed coming from the usually guarded Uchiha. Like herself, Izumi was heartbroken. The love of her life was gone. The man they'd both loved with all their hearts was dead. The only difference was that Izumi's love was unrequited. She'd never experienced what it was like to be held by him. To inhale his scent of a morning when they were in the early stages of waking up. Feeling his kisses and the way the whole world seemed to stop when they were alone, like they were the only ones who mattered in that moment in time.

Despite her earlier assumption of being too tired to cry, Sakura felt tears slipping down her cheek as she whispered, "I want him back."

Izumi nodded quickly. "I know."

"It's not fair," came her sudden cry and her nails dug into the dirt, grabbing fistfuls of it. "We only just started…" She bit her lip so hard that it drew blood, but Sakura couldn't feel it. "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

The proud Uchiha's shoulders shook when Sakura broke down into heart-breaking sobs, and she was quick to catch her when she doubled over, the sides of their heads pressed together, hands gripping tightly as they shared their pain.

* * *

"You have to stop doing this."

She shook her head, eyes glued to the bottom of the crater. Her heart wouldn't let her leave the area, no matter how badly her head protested or her body ached with the need to rest. It ruled above all others, leaving no room to argue. No matter where she was in the village, her heart took control of her body and forced Sakura to return to that place.

The pendant resting just below her collarbone felt like it was scalding her skin. Even though the pain was unbearable, she refused to remove it. She couldn't. It symbolised their love. It showed they were ready to commit. He'd wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"You're here just as much as I am," she accused softly, never looking up as Sasuke came to sit beside her. Pausing as she sensed something, she sighed. "Shisui still has to watch over you?"

He nodded silently.

"How do they do it?" she questioned. "The villagers. They go about their day like they don't feel the pain of loss."

"Civilians are ignorant," Sasuke replied and followed her gaze to the bottom of the crater despite it being impossible to see due to the darkness that accompanied the night. They'd yet to fix the damage – probably because she continuously returned to the scene. "They appreciate how hard shinobi work, but they don't understand our loss. They don't understand how much we have to lose to protect them."

Her hand found his and she couldn't help but feel a small ounce of comfort at his returning hold. "It's been two weeks," came her whisper. "But it feels like only moments ago." Again, he was silent. "How am I supposed to just… carry on?"

There was a sigh behind them, but neither turned to face Shisui as he finally joined them, dropping to her other side. Having them both there, two of Itachi's most precious people, eased her aching heart somewhat. They understood, to an extent. They adored him just as much, if not more, than she did.

It wasn't unusual for Shisui to join them. He seemed to need the silent comfort just as much. "Nobody is expecting either of you to move on. They understand your grief. Right now, however, they-"

"They're more concerned with the Hokage's disappearance to care about Itachi," Sasuke cut him off harshly, eyes narrowing.

"You're wrong," he argued calmly. Then, he sighed again, his eyes focusing on the night sky. The moon and stars lit up the dark sky, granting them with some form of light. It wasn't enough to light up the entire battlefield, but it sufficed. "Our clan, for starters, are in mourning, as are those who personally knew Itachi. However, you cannot forget that there were a lot of fatalities during the battle, Sasuke. Just because they aren't focusing on Itachi specifically, it doesn't mean they're not suffering just as greatly."

"They could have lost _their_ Itachi," added Sakura quietly and like she had for Sasuke, she took Shisui's hand, giving a gentle squeeze. "Their best friend, their sibling, their lover. They… They share our pain, Sasuke-kun. Just not over the same person."

There was no reply from him other than the clenching of his jaw, his eyes becoming glassy. It made her happy – no, not happy, but something close to happiness, knowing that Sasuke was comfortable with sharing his grief with them. He knew they wouldn't judge him. He could cry in front of them.

"I can't take his place."

"You-"

Even _she_ wasn't so lost to her grief to miss the change in the air, the one that had Shisui cutting himself off and activating his sharingan, had him breathing out shakily. Without missing a beat, Sasuke followed his lead and she didn't fail to notice the way he paled.

"What?" she demanded, unsure as to whether she had enough energy to fight their new enemy. "What do you see?"

"It's…" Words failed Sasuke and he stood on weak legs, hands slack by his sides.

Then, without warning, he was skidding down the walls of the crater, disappearing into the darkness. She was grateful when Shisui helped her stand, but was completely taken by surprise when he reached for her legs and picked her up, carrying Sakura down to the bottom of the crater. It was terrifying being submerged in darkness, but it didn't last for long as he reached into his pouch and removed a flare, lighting it up in one smooth movement.

And the sight that greeted her had her fighting to be placed down onto her feet, had her struggling desperately to get down because standing only ten feet away from her, in the tight embrace of his younger brother, stood the man she'd chosen to spend the rest of her life with, his dark eyes staring down at the head of spiky dark hair in warm surprise.

When his eyes met hers, Sakura felt as though all oxygen had been sucked out of the universe. Had she ever realised how breathtakingly beautiful his eyes were before? Had she ever truly appreciated the gentleness of his gaze? The way his lips curved at the corners when he looked her way? Gods, she couldn't breathe.

"Genjutsu," she whispered, clutching Shisui to try and anchor herself. "It has to be genjutsu."

"Sakura-"

"We're not…" Sakura shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "We're not that lucky. We can't be."

It was only then that she realised two others were standing behind Itachi, the older of the lot smiling sadly at her broken expression, whereas the other seemed unsure of himself, watching her closely. Their appearances were dishevelled and it was clear they were still wearing the same outfits they'd worn during battle, for they were torn and bloody. Wherever they'd been, there hadn't been any supplies, apparently.

"I…"

Gently, not wanting to upset him, Itachi pulled away from his brother and looked down at him, saying, "I need to comfort my future wife, Sasuke."

Numbly, he nodded, red and black eyes never leaving his older brother's form as he approached Sakura, pulling her against him without pause.

"This is…"

He smelled like him. Like Itachi. Albeit, a lot sweatier, making it obvious he hadn't showered in a while, but that was beside the point. Beneath all the sweat and the blood and the grime, he was Itachi. Itachi was alive. She breathed in deeply through her nose, clinging to him in a state of disbelief.

"Real," he told her softly, fingers running through her hair before he shut his eyes, cheek resting on the top of her head. "This is real."

"How?" Shisui questioned, eyes tearing from Itachi to his companions. "You were both missing without a trace. Itachi was dead. I _saw_ you die."

"No, you saw him disappear," the oldest Uchiha corrected. "Minato-sensei and I joined the battle just in time for the beast bombs to go off and with my sharingan, I was able to teleport us all to safety. After that, however, there wasn't enough chakra to return. We had to wait."

"But you were against Konoha," Sasuke argued distractedly, still focusing on his brother. "You stabbed Tsunade."

"I made him see sense, Sasuke-kun," Minato replied with a smile. "That and we saw for ourselves that Rin-chan was alive."

Something flickered across Obito's expression, his eyebrows knitting together. "Sakura-chan, how…?"

How did she save her? How was she doing? How was Rin feeling after Obito's disappearance? There were too many paths the beginning of that sentence could go down and Sakura was still way too shocked to even consider trying to figure… Damn, she couldn't even think clearly. Couldn't string together a coherent thought. Itachi was alive. He was holding her.

Still, she knew Obito deserved some answers – Itachi pulling back a few inches to meet her eye confirming that thought. Shaking her head, she tried to calm herself. "Rin-san was… Honestly, I don't know how she survived," replied Sakura. "Stubbornness, maybe? I assumed she was dead – no-one could survive the attack she took on to try and save a patient. I…" The words died on her tongue and she frowned. "I only realised she was alive when she came to Naruto's aid. She tried to help heal him."

"And Kushina?" Minato questioned. Despite trying to appear calm, she could see the worry etched into his features. "Naruto? Did they both survive the beast bomb?"

Sakura nodded quickly, wanting to ease her Hokage's worry. "Rin-san is currently with Kushina-sama – they've been tearing the village apart trying to find you both, even though Tsunade-shishou warned Rin-san to rest." She hadn't stuck around long enough to hear the rare argument, despite the fact many found it amusing. "Naruto is… He's…" She grimaced, glancing towards Sasuke. "He's pretty broken up about everything."

"Everything?" repeated Itachi, glancing between the pair.

"He thought he killed you," she told him seriously. "Sasuke-kun thought he killed you."

Realisation had them all falling into a long silence. For some of them, it was uneasy, for others awkward.

Clearing her throat, she added, "ANBU are watching over him, so nothing's happened."

"Not for lack of trying," added Shisui disapprovingly. Sighing when his flare fizzled out, bathing them all in total darkness, he asked, "Shall we return to the village? There's many people who will be relieved to see you all alive."

"That sounds like a good idea," Minato accepted and he patted Obito's shoulder encouragingly, smiling faintly over to Sasuke (and knowing he could see it due to the eerie glow of his sharingan). "There's much to sort out, it seems."

* * *

"Mother-"

"Do not interrupt me," she chided, voice muffled by Itachi's shoulder as she continued to hold him close. They all pretended not to see the shaking of her shoulders, for she was doing an admirable job of keeping her voice level. "I believed my eldest child to be dead for over two weeks – I'm allowed to react this way."

He smiled softly, returning the hold with obvious gentleness. "Aa."

The clan welcomed their patriarch back as best as they could. They were glad for his return, to find that he wasn't actually dead, but many were grieving for those who _did_ die. Their children, their friends or lovers.

When Mikoto finally pulled away at her husband's insistence, he nodded once to his son, expression relaxing out of the well-practised blankness. "Welcome home, Itachi."

Returning to his place by her side, he expressed his gratitude with a quiet, "Thank you, Father." Then, he faced the crowd of Uchiha who had come to welcome him home, his expression softening at the sight of Izumi standing at the front, hand pressed to her chest, features cracking and showing her relief. He seemed just as grateful for her recovery. "In two days' time, I would like to hold a memorial for our clansmen who fought bravely and for those who were unfortunately caught in the unforgivable attack."

As he continued his heartfelt speech with the clan, Sakura couldn't help but stare up at him, still unable to believe she'd truly gotten lucky enough to have him return to her. Not only that, but the whole experience had opened him up to them, from the looks of things – something his clan also noticed, as they watched him in surprise, though soon began cheering and showing their respect. Never before had he been so outspoken with them. Never before had he spoken so emotionally. Was it thanks to his near-death experience? Was he merely feeling emotional due to his relief of being home?

"Please know that we will never forget those we lost," he assured them, making sure to make eye contact with everyone. "And tomorrow, I will meet with Hokage-sama and discuss what our next move is. But please, understand that I am against retaliation."

Sakura's eyes widened at the sudden reaction, facing the crowd as they suddenly broke out in angered yells, demanding to know what the hell their patriarch was thinking. It happened so swiftly – one moment they were praising him and nodding in agreement, then the next, totally against him. It was disorientating.

"_Sit back and let them walk all over us? That is not what the Uchiha Clan is about!"_

"_Sasuke-sama had the right idea when he wanted to avenge you! Allow him to take over!"_

"_You're too soft to be our leader!"_

"_You've always been different from us!"_

Sighing, Itachi shut his eyes, listening to their outrage without defending himself. Sakura couldn't help but notice the great divide within the clan, however. At first, she'd assumed they were all shouting at once, that they all wanted revenge for those they'd lost. But she was so wrong. Many were shouting, sure, but just as many were shouting at _those_ because, in one Uchiha's words,_ "Where the hell does revenge get us?"_

Clearly, her lover had been expecting such a reaction, but it didn't lessen her worry as she looked between him and the clan. What was going to happen? Would they turn on him even more than they currently were?

"Oi-" Sasuke began in a snarl, stepping forward.

He was stopped by Itachi reopening his eyes, shaking his head at him minutely. Then, he looked back to the crowd, sharingan activating and morphing into the mangekyō. "It is not only because of my birth right that I am your patriarch and you will do well to remember that."

"_You-"_

"I am by no means a tyrant, but you will all understand that the clan's old ways will no longer be tolerated," he stated seriously, firmly. There was no room for argument and it had them all falling silent. His father was clearly in shock, his mother more so. They hadn't expected such a sudden change – they'd assumed it would be gradual when it eventually happened. "If you fail to follow me, you will no longer be welcome in this district. You will no longer be an Uchiha."

Shit, had he hit his head? As much as she wanted to, Sakura refrained from demanding to know if he was sure about his actions and words.

"The village will be facing many changes in the near future," Itachi continued ominously, eyes narrowing. It had her frowning in confusion, because it was the first she'd heard of there being any changes. "And our first major change as a clan will be the return of those who were disowned for marrying outside of the clan."

"_You're doing this to justify tainting-"_

Izumi spun, eyes bleeding to red as she glared warningly at the man behind her, holding a kunai to his throat. "Do not continue with that foul sentence."

Sakura smirked. At least she knew she could rely on Izumi to have her back.

Knowing that he needed support and that the others would follow should somebody step up first, Shisui left the crowd and stood beside his childhood friend, nodding once. "I've been waiting a while for this," he said loud enough for all to hear him. "It's been a long time coming."

Although more hesitant than Shisui, Sasuke soon agreed, muttering, "I'd rather not be ostracised by the village simply because we can't keep up with their changing ways."

"We need Konoha just as much as they need us," Fugaku surprised them all by saying.

It would take a while, she noticed as many in the crowd hesitated in their agreements, but she knew Itachi would win them over. After all, he was a magnificent leader who deserved the respect he'd earned over the years.

Smiling, she placed her hand on Itachi's arm, expressing her pride with her eyes alone as she met his gaze.

* * *

Whenever she questioned him about the future of Konoha, Itachi remained silent, but she could have sworn he'd been staring at her proudly the night before. Unable to leave his angered clan for long, he'd walked her home though reluctantly kissed her goodbye, much to her upset. She understood, however. It was important for him to get his clan under control, not to mention spend time with his parents who'd apparently stayed confined to their home since his death – or supposed death. She could wait.

Fortunately, her home remained relatively untouched during the ambush, though the same couldn't be said for the apartments just across the street from her. _That_ building was barely standing and would no doubt be torn down, as there was no saving it. It would have to be rebuilt, meaning a lot of noise for her.

Sakura glanced around her home once the door was shut and was unable to stop the shaking of her limbs as she fell back against it, sliding to the ground. She couldn't believe… Her hand came to her forehead, massaging her temple. He was alive. Not for the first time since the ambush, tears filled her eyes. _He's home._

"You're back."

While unexpected, Sakura didn't react to the sudden voice (though made a mental note to scold herself later on – it didn't matter how skilled her shishou was, she shouldn't be able to sneak up on her like that). She remained hunched over, glassy eyes staring down at the wooden flooring.

Sighing, the blonde stood from the sofa and approached, kneeling down once she was in front of Sakura. "Well? What's your excuse?"

"Tsunade-sama, I-"

"You thought I'd forget about you sneaking off?" she scoffed, honey brown eyes narrowing. "Don't insult me, kid." Standing, she dusted her hands on her pants before pulling something out the pocket, ordering, "Get up and eat this. You're going to need your strength tomorrow."

Tomorrow? Why? She–

Oh right. The meeting with Minato. She supposed her shishou was right – they were going to discuss what their next move should be, but she was certain it wouldn't be to retaliate, not after Itachi's speech. However, it would be wise to try and regain her strength _just in case._

"Hope you don't mind, but I'm staying here tonight," Tsunade said conversationally and settled herself back into the sofa. It was only then that Sakura noticed the bottle of sake and two dishes. "I'd say join me, but you've got a big day tomorrow."

The way her shishou said the words had green eyes narrowing suspiciously. What did she know? What was happening tomorrow? Despite her curiosity, Sakura chose to retire to bed, shooting a wary glance over her shoulder when Tsunade chuckled.

Raising her dish to the picture opposite her, the older woman's lips quirked into a rare, proud smile (since the flower left there before the ambush had wilted away, she'd made sure to replace it daily – perhaps that would become part of her morning routine now that her apprentice was going to be swamped with work?).

She chuckled again. "Good luck, kid. You're going to need it."

* * *

_He was alive._

Why did it still feel so surreal? Like he was about to disappear at any moment?

Just in case, before they entered the Hokage's office, she made sure to grab him, tugging him away from the gathered crowd so that she could steal a kiss. She'd wanted to kiss him the second she saw him, but having everyone around made it… Sakura wasn't sure. It didn't feel right. They were private. She didn't want to share what they had with everyone else.

With the corner to the hallway covering them from view of the office, she allowed herself to get lost in their kiss, fingers tangling in his shirt, clinging to him, trying to bring him impossibly closer. It was hard _not_ getting emotional, for she couldn't help but think of how close she came to never experiencing their love again. The soft feeling of his lips brushing against hers, his hands skimming along her waist, understanding her need to be closer.

"Sakura," he sighed between kisses, hand coming to the back of her head. "Hokage-sama is waiting."

She knew she should care. She knew how wrong it was to make their Hokage wait, but… "Minato can wait," she said and tugged him closer.

"Minato?" said a voice that had her freezing, eyes going wide. Chuckling, the person added, "Why, Sakura-chan, you've gotten awfully bold. What happened to sticking to formalities?"

Itachi released her head and instead patted her back reassuringly, saying over her shoulder, "I believe they are no longer necessary, don't you agree, Kakashi-san?"

Finally looking to her former sensei, she caught him in the process of rubbing the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly. "Now, now, Itachi-san, you know we're not supposed to discuss _that_ just yet."

Discuss what? She wanted to demand to know what they meant, for Tsunade had teased her horrifically before leaving that morning, too. Honestly, she loved her shishou, she truly, truly did, but seeing the blonde so early in the morning when she was hungover and wishing to inflict torture on someone, was not her idea of spending quality time with the older woman. The sooner her home was rebuilt, the better (Sakura still couldn't understand why Tsunade couldn't stay with Shizune and Genma in their spare room rather than crashing on the sofa).

Before she could question them, Itachi replied, saying, "I suppose you're right." Then, to change the subject, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

They began to walk back towards the office and once again, Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "I wish someone had warned me in advance, or at least knocked Obito out. The mangekyō gives you one hell of a hangover. I'm not entirely sure it's worth it on my half, since I can't use it just yet."

Due to their backs being to her, she couldn't see Itachi's smirk, but she knew it was there. "And Obito-san?"

He sighed at that and paused at the door long enough to say, "Still under house arrest, but you can't blame them."

Obito was under house arrest? Like Kakashi was getting at: it was understandable. However, she wished they took his past into consideration. Before the attack on Rin, before he thought she'd died, he was the kindest person she knew. He helped so many people, even if it meant missing appointments or being late for important events. He went _so far_ out of his way to make sure everyone – and not just Konoha citizens – were okay.

"Are you coming, Sakura?" Itachi asked, already halfway through the door.

Nodding, she followed silently. Perhaps she could ask Minato about Obito's options? Or what ANBU were thinking of doing to him? She understood their concern and she was still upset that her shishou received a potentially life threatening injury from him, but she also understood that Obito hadn't been thinking clearly. She'd seen it in his face when he saw Rin the day before and cried in front of them all about how sorry he was, begging for her forgiveness. Not only that, but she'd experienced the pain for herself. She knew what losing the love of her life felt like and how easy it was to allow rage and vengeance consume her whole.

Seeing that everyone was in the room, she shut the door behind herself and stood in front of her current squad, sparing her boys a wary glance. It was still awkward between them from the looks of things, but she hoped with all her heart that they could fight through the problem. At least Sasuke didn't look like he wanted to tear Naruto's throat out anymore. Then again, he wouldn't even look at him.

"I have invited you here because I trust you most," Minato began, blue eyes making sure to catch each of theirs. "Each of you have a part to play in changes that affect the village."

They did? Sakura did a second, discreet glance at those who were present. Kakashi standing beside the desk instead of with them made sense – he was Minato's adviser. Itachi standing there as well was… Her eyes narrowed. When the hell had he been made an adviser and why the hell hadn't he told her? Damn it, she would make sure to beat the answer out of him later.

Who else was there? Kushina was at her husband's other side, but that made sense. Shisui kind of made sense given the fact he was one of Itachi's advisers, but at the same time, didn't. Unless Itachi was actually there on behalf of the clan? Gods, had she jumped to conclusions again?

What _really_ didn't make sense was her squad's presence.

"Firstly, I would like to thank each of you for your involvement in defending Konoha."

But what about the hundreds outside the building? Or the ones who gave up their lives to save the village? Where was their personal thanks? Behind her back, Sakura's fists clenched tightly. She would've rather been thanked while standing alongside her comrades. They fought just as hard as she did. They deserved to be praised by their Hokage, too.

"However, the main reason you're here today is because of your involvement in the Nibi's jinchūriki's death. I believe, as you all contributed in one way or another, you should all be present during the discussion of what shall happen."

Ah. That made more sense. Kind of.

"What do we do once the chakra re-coalesces?" questioned Shisui. "The Nibi will only be gone for so long."

"To keep the peace, I shall meet with the Raikage and see what he proposes we do." Turning in his seat and standing, Minato approached the window, looking out at his broken village with a heavy gaze. "The fact Killer B, his brother, was kept alive will serve as a warning to him. Next time, we will not be so lenient should he choose to go against Konoha again. Sakura-chan." Surprised that she was being addressed directly, she could only stare at him until he glanced her way, asking, "What do you think we should do with the Nibi?"

Why the hell was he asking her? The others looked to her, probably thinking the same and it had her forcing back the urge to duck her head in embarrassment. "In all honesty, Hokage-sama, I'm torn between two minds. The side of me grieving for those we lost demands to keep the Nibi and have someone become its jinchūriki. However, the logical side of me says to use it as a bargaining chip. Form an alliance with Kumo by giving it back to them."

"Showing them they cannot stand against us. They only retreated with potentially both tailed beasts because we allowed them to, showing we don't find them to be a threat," Kakashi murmured thoughtfully. "I like it."

"And Kiri?"

"Kiri no longer has any tailed beasts," she added seriously, eyebrows knitting together. "Without an alliance of some sort and without their infamous swordsmen, they're no match for us. If we manage to form an alliance with Kumo, if Kiri knows what's good for them, they won't go against us."

Nodding, Minato leaned back against the windowsill, appearing in deep thought for a few moments as he silently regarded her. It had her fighting the urge to shift in her stance. Fortunately for her, it didn't last long. "I'm interested in your other option, but how would we go about finding a jinchūriki?"

Naruto stepped forward, disapproval clear on his features, but Kushina silenced him with a minute shake of her head, her eyes warning him not to interrupt.

Three jinchūriki in one village could come back to bite them in the ass, Sakura warned herself. Nobody was offering any support of ideas when she looked to them, instead hiding their thoughts as they patiently waited for her response. "I would suggest finding someone with great potential – possibly skilled in fūinjutsu, also. However, I…" Shaking her head, she sighed. "Thinking about it logically, I can't help but worry about whether its truly in Konoha's best interest to have so many jinchūriki."

"Oh?"

Gesturing to Kushina and Naruto, she replied, "We already have two powerful jinchūriki and the other villages believe we're involved with the fake Akatsuki, who were collecting tailed beasts. If we were to add the Nibi to our arsenal, they could view it as a threat, as us preparing to go to war."

"So, you're saying we'd be… too powerful?" Naruto asked unsurely, scratching his whiskered cheek.

Sakura nodded once. "It could lead to all the other hidden villages forming an alliance to take us down."

"Should that happen, we wouldn't stand a chance," Minato agreed. "Then, considering it was within the village the Nibi was defeated, it should be within the village it gathers once more. I shall station ANBU to be on the lookout. After that, we will use it as a bargaining chip like you suggested."

Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi said, "Good thinking, Sakura-chan."

Her cheeks burned at the praise and attention. Was somebody going to fill her in? Was she being clueless? Was she about to be–

Oh, shit. Was she about to be promoted to the official captain of her squad? Was that the real reason they were gathered?

Minato was saved from her demands by the sudden knocking on the door, to which he easily responded for the group to enter. They did so without hesitation, the leader of their team coming to a stop beside her. It was only then that Sakura took note of the band around his arm, signifying him as…

"Godaime Kazekage?" Naruto all but yelled at his friend. "When the hell did _that_ happen?"

Gaara folded his arms over his chest, not sparing them a single glance. "We will catch up after, Naruto."

"But-"

He fell silent at the sound of the sand swirling in the gourd, the memories of his training with Gaara warning him to stay silent, lest he wished to be injured.

"Ah, Gaara-kun. It's good to see you and your siblings again," Minato greeted warmly with a smile, walking around his desk to stand before the redhead. Holding out his hand, he said, "Thank you for coming to Konoha's defence."

It surprised her how Gaara didn't hesitate to shake Minato's hand. "We're allies," was all he replied with.

Sensing eyes on her, Sakura glanced over her shoulder and smiled shyly at Kankuro, though her eyes soon widened as she remembered she'd failed to keep a promise. Seeing that his blatant staring had caught the attention of others, she smiled apologetically. "I completely forgot about the letter. I'm sorry."

He shook his head and looked away, pretending to appear as uncaring. "Forget it."

How was she supposed to forget it when he looked so disgruntled? And when Temari was smirking knowingly? Grimacing, she turned to face him fully. "I'm really sorry." Bowing at the waist, she then said, "Please forgive me."

"You-"

They were all stunned when Kankuro was suddenly thrown across the room, stopping abruptly when he slammed into the wall. It came out of nowhere and she'd only just caught glimpse of the movement by quickly standing out of her bow, eyes going wide.

"G-Gaara," they heard the brunet splutter. "What… the hell?"

For good measure, he was flung to the other side, where he lost consciousness and fell to the ground. The sight of gold speckled sand captured their attention as it retreated to the safety of its gourd.

"His whining has been annoying me for months and now it is interrupting our meeting," Gaara said simply. Then, he stepped forward, speaking directly to the Hokage as he said, "My siblings and I discovered their plans while out on a mission, but we were too late to give Konoha any warnings. Only my team could come to your defence, although Suna has now sent as many shinobi as possible without weakening our own defences to protect Konoha from possible attacks."

"We are extremely grateful," Minato assured him, more than likely sensing the apology hidden behind his words. Smiling once more, he said, "Please come to me if there is anything you or your shinobi need."

Not for the first time, Sakura found herself zoning out of the conversation, since it required no input from her. They were merely discussing the conditions the shinobi from Suna were staying in, and whether they needed anything more. Following on from that, they discussed escorts and temporary rules that they all must abide by – an example of that being a curfew for civilians and genin, which was mainly a precaution. With their defences being pretty low, they had to be wary and ready for anything. Anyone could try and take advantage.

Throughout the meeting, she found herself catching Itachi's gaze and Sakura wanted nothing more than to go to him because _he was alive_. Her lips were still tingling from their kiss, her heart still ecstatic at his return, her mind still trying to process all that had happened in the past two weeks. Everything was such a mess, but in a beautiful way. She… couldn't believe her luck. For once, the Gods had taken mercy on her. Was it wrong of her to want more time alone with Itachi? Time to just… breathe? To relax? To explore their relationship while they still had the chance?

"Sakura-chan, Itachi-san informed me of your wishes to open a clinic. Is this correct?"

The sudden question had her nodding quickly, heart skipping a beat. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Noticing the questioning expressions surrounding them, he gestured to the other occupants, ordering her, "Give a brief summary of what the clinic will offer."

Did he want her to sell it to them? Holding back her frown, she stood up straighter, speaking with an air of authority as she told them all, "The clinic will focus on children who have been caught up in our lifestyle. Going off an experience of my own as an example: it's no secret that I struggled with the death of my friend, Yamanaka Ino. It's no secret that many others were greatly affected, either. And to this day, we struggle coming to terms with her death and dealing with it healthily."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Temari frown minutely, head tilting away from Sakura for a brief moment before her resolve grew. When Temari looked back at her, her expression was one of determination and pride. Perhaps even gratefulness. She knew how badly Ino's death affected Shikamaru, the man she'd grown to love.

"While I'm in no way complaining about the help I received from family and friends, I believe I would have benefited from professional support – therapy," she continued and met Minato's gaze steadily, adding, "I want to help the children, the future of Konoha and set an example to other villages."

He nodded once, something warm entering his eyes, but that soon diminished when he warned her, "The timing couldn't be more perfect for your idea, as the total number of those we have lost is staggering. At this moment in time, however, Konoha doesn't have the budget to open a new clinic-"

"The Uchiha Clan will fund the clinic," Itachi stated. "There are many children in my clan who recently lost family members and friends, many of them awakening their sharingan because of their grief. I would like for them to find healthy outlets to keep them from falling onto the wrong path."

Sakura almost missed the discreet elbow that jabbed Gaara in the side, leading him to sigh and say, "If Konoha – no, if Haruno is open to sharing treatments and knowledge with Suna, we would be happy to fund her dream, also."

"You'd like a clinic in Suna, too?" Naruto asked with a grin.

He nodded, replying simply with, "The next generation is the future of the village."

Turning back to Minato, she found herself grinning at him, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. Hope. Opening her clinic brought her great hope for the future of Konoha and, if Gaara was true to his word, the children of Suna, too.

* * *

"Sakura-chan?"

Pausing in leaving the office, she shared a quick, questioning glance with Itachi, who'd also stopped. He offered no answers, however. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

He sat down at his desk, which he'd ignored throughout the meeting so that he could stand with them like they were equals – something she respected massively. "Please stay behind. There is something I must discuss with you."

It confused her to see the recognition in Itachi's eyes. The confusion grew when he smirked down at her and walked out, telling her quietly, "I will find you after, Sakura."

The others seemed confused as they left, though both Kakashi and Kushina had the same knowing gleam in their eyes that had her worrying about _why_ Minato wanted to speak with her alone. Maybe she was right earlier? Maybe she was being promoted to captain? There was a small smile on Minato's face as she returned to her earlier position, standing before her Hokage with mixed feelings. While she felt she'd earned the promotion to captain, she still felt unprepared for the role. There was still so much she had yet to learn.

His office wasn't in the best condition, but ANBU had done a damn good job in protecting it and the Hokage during the ambush. It had to be the second least touched building in all of Konoha – the hospital taking first place, much to her happiness. The medics deserved to be proud of themselves for protecting the hospital, she silently told herself. Without them, without their support and determination to protect both the patients and their hospital, they would have lost it all.

Like he could sense where her thoughts were drifting to, Minato's smile warmed. "I wanted to thank you personally for protecting the injured so relentlessly."

"I couldn't have done it alone," she responded swiftly. "Tsunade-sama and the other medics played a big part in protecting the hospital. The patients wouldn't have been evacuated if it weren't-"

"Sakura-chan," he chided with a chuckle. "Accept the praise."

She nodded quickly, blushing. Gods, why was she suddenly so nervous? Her palms were growing sweaty, but drying them on her skirt would be improper. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

"While your humble words about the teamwork showed between the medics are true, it wouldn't have worked out so well without you leading them." Her blush deepened. She was about to be promoted. She could feel it in her rapidly beating heart, excitement growing despite her nerves. "Tsunade-sama herself stated that she's astounded by the development in not only your strength, but in your personality – in yourself as a whole."

Her shishou had said that? Unable to stop herself from smiling, she did so, though did her best to keep it small to try and remain serious. Damn it, she was so happy to hear not only the Hokage praising her, but her shishou, too. It'd taken many years, but she'd earned their respect and praise.

Growing serious, he added, "Kushina has also told me of your determination to save Naruto. For that, I can never repay you. Not only have you saved the lives of so many villagers, including my former student, but you saved my son, too. Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"It's my ninja way," she replied quietly, excitement dying down at the reminder of how close she came to losing everyone. "I'll always protect everyone to the best of my abilities."

He smiled at that, blue eyes warming. "Speaking of Naruto: he informed me of your relationship with Uchiha Itachi-san after I questioned him about it. Is this true?"

The excitement vanished completely and she refrained from frowning. Since when did relationships involve the Hokage? He was supposed to protect their village and lead them, not get involved in personal matters such as those. "It is, Hokage-sama," replied Sakura evenly, hands clenching into fists behind her back.

His smile dimmed, but didn't lose any of its warmth. "Then I offer you my congratulations. You have both shown great teamwork since you joined his team, so perhaps that teamwork will mean for a just as great relationship and life together."

…What? "Hokage-sama?"

"This does mean, however, that you can never be on the same team as Itachi-san," stated Minato apologetically. "At least, he cannot be your captain, or you his, while on a mission should you both be assigned to one together."

She nodded, already understanding that. It was the first thing to occur to her when they made it official. "I understand, Hokage-sama."

"But that doesn't matter."

"Excuse me?"

The previous smile returned, taking years off his face and as though he could sense what Sakura was thinking, he told her, "I am not getting any younger, Sakura-chan." She remained silent. How could he say that when he looked as young as ever? "The elders have told me that it is time I start to think about my successor."

Her heart swelled. "Is it Naruto? Or Obito-san?" she gushed, eyes going wide and a large smile spread across her face. "They're going to be so happy to hear about this!"

His sheepish expression stopped her from saying more. "Actually, Sakura-chan, it's you. I have decided that you are to be my successor."

"…Eh?"

Minato chuckled and sat back in his seat, seeming at complete ease. "Your growth since joining ANBU has been phenomenal, Sakura-chan. You have become a fine leader and because you have followed closely in Itachi-san's footsteps, according to him, at least, you have learned to see the world in the same way as he does – like a Hokage."

"Then make _him_ your successor," she found herself snapping. In her chest, her heart was pounding and Sakura was pretty certain that she was sweating. How the hell could he have come to such a stupid decision? Didn't he care about the village at all? Had Kushina punched him over the head? She was only supposed to be getting promoted to an ANBU captain, damn it. "Itachi will be a much better Hokage than I could ever be."

"Having Itachi-san become Hokage would be very beneficial, I agree. It would possibly stop any further hatred brewing in the Uchiha Clan and calm all negativity."

"So why me?" demanded Sakura, dropping her arms by her sides, her fists clenching once again. "Why are you choosing me?"

This time, the smile disappeared completely and Minato sighed. "I won't lie to you. I have considered it. Itachi-san is an extraordinarily talented shinobi, but it is because of this that he needs to remain on the front lines." _And not stuck behind a desk_, they both thought at the same time. "However, despite this, I have already asked Itachi-san to become one of my trusted advisers since he is now his clan's patriarch and won't be leaving the village much."

Oh… "Meaning he'd become one of mine, too. Like Kushina-sama is yours."

He nodded once. "Kushina… She has always wished to be Hokage, even if she no longer mentions it. It has always been her dream and that didn't change, not even when the others at the Academy turned their backs on her or picked on her."

Wait. People tried to pick on someone like Kushina? Were they mentally deficient? Who the hell would be stupid enough to try that?

"Of course, she put them all in their places." Minato smirked. "But it also made her realise how difficult it would be for her to become Hokage – she was not born in the village and only came here to become a jinchūriki." Sakura's eyes widened. She hadn't known _that_. "You see, Sakura-chan, it may not be exactly the same, but Itachi-san will face the same difficulty. Nobody would ever accept an Uchiha as Hokage – that goes for Obito, too, despite how far out of his way he goes for our villagers. Especially after his recent actions. People fear the Uchiha Clan, as you already know." Reluctantly, she nodded. "They will not loyally or willingly follow a leader they fear and don't trust."

Sakura looked away, trying to smother her anger. She would have followed Obito or Itachi loyally. She would have put her life on the line and died to protect them and their village. Surely there were others who felt the same way as herself? It wasn't that there weren't, because there were. Just not enough to actually mean something. The majority of the village would despise their leader. It could cause a divide within the village. Could cause civil war.

"However, there is no way of knowing if they would feel the same if someone married into the Uchiha Clan _after _becoming Hokage. Moreover, they trust you, Sakura-chan. They have seen you fight for our village and exhaust yourself completely to heal them. They have seen your passion, your fierce determination and even your terrifying anger."

She deadpanned at the backhanded comment, unable to take everything in. One thing that stood out to her, however, was how he was still trying to find some kind of loop hole. People wouldn't follow a member of the Uchiha Clan, no matter how kind-hearted that individual was. However, by becoming the Hokage as a Haruno and later becoming an Uchiha, there was no reason for them to despise her… right? There would surely be flaws in that plan, but it only went to prove to her that Minato was still trying so hard to include the Uchiha Clan with village matters. He didn't want anybody to be ostracised.

Minato smiled. "They would follow you without hesitation, Sakura-chan. You are a leader they can trust one hundred percent."

"But…" Sakura met his eyes, trying to share her own fear of such a huge position. "What if I mess up?"

"I will still be here," he told her soothingly. "You will also have your advisers and your teams – both of them – to support you. You have risen to countless challenges in the past and astounded us all by not only breaking through the glass ceiling, but by demolishing the room trying to cage you." He smiled again, this time proudly. "I know you will continue to amaze us as our Godaime Hokage."

Eyes falling to the ground, she gave a small smile.

Hokage…

_Are you still watching, Ino? Are you proud? I did it. I blossomed and everyone can see it, just like you said they would._

* * *

_A new council_.

Tapping the pencil to her lips, her eyes stared at the words, hoping that simply seeing them would help her figure out how the hell she was going to do it. There was something nagging at the back of her mind, warning her to replace the current council, for the elders weren't to be trusted. While Sakura knew about Danzo and his original plans for the Uchiha Clan, she wasn't too sure about the other two, though knew they hadn't been totally against his plans. They could pose as a threat if they caught wind of their plans about marrying Itachi after becoming Hokage.

What she wanted was a change for the village – something for them all to be proud of, something that brought them closer together. _But how did she do that?_ Minato had tried so hard to keep everyone happy.

_Homura and Koharu – retire._

But what then? After they'd retired, what was she supposed to do? Sakura had her advisers already – Kakashi, Itachi and Shisui. The elders would _loathe_ the idea of her advisers being two members of the Uchiha Clan, especially since she was marrying one of them eventually, but–

A way to include everyone.

Green eyes going wide, she scribbled down every clan she could think of in the village. No more ostracising. No more unnecessary hatred towards the clans – it only bred more hatred. If each clan head was involved in decisions that'd affect the village, then… Gods, what was that thought? What was just out of her reach? It didn't matter. If her council consisted of the head of the clans, then nobody would be left out. No clans would think they didn't matter to the village. Their input, their opinions, were valued.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Standing from the dining table, Sakura shut her notebook, offering a shy smile. "Just making a list of some of the things I need to do," she told him.

Itachi sat down on the sofa, his picture of relaxation making her smile widen. He looked so at peace, looked like he belonged there and it warmed her heart. It made her so happy. _He was alive._ "Concerning the clinic for children?"

"That and other things." Running her fingers over the notebook, she asked, "What happened with ROOT, anyway? I didn't want to ask Hokage-sama about something like that in front of everyone. It's highly classified, right?"

Sighing, Itachi stretched his legs out comfortably. "The man who took over Danzo's position as leader was defeated by Hokage-sama and most ROOT operatives were defeated."

That sounded way too easy. Leaning back against the dining table, Sakura frowned at him. She understood that it was highly classified information, but… Well, she had every right to know now, right? Now that she was going to become Hokage, shortly followed by the Uchiha Clan's matriarch. They had to get used to her involvement.

"And that's it?" she challenged, green eyes narrowing fractionally.

"Anyone who survived is currently being interrogated," came his tired answer. "However, Sakura…" At his pause, she felt her stomach drop. "It has already been confirmed that it was ROOT who killed Sai."

She leaned more heavily against the table and tilted her head back, staring up at the ceiling. It took a few moments to remain calm, to keep composure. "Did they say why they…?"

Itachi made no move to approach her and for that, she was grateful. While the comfort was welcomed, she didn't need babying. She had to work on hearing bad news and waiting until she was alone to react to it. There would be way too many people relying on her now.

He nodded. "Sai refused take sides."

"So they took that as him going AWOL and killed him."

"Yes."

_Thank you, friend._

Glancing to the picture he'd created for Ino's altar, Sakura felt her heart break. Was that what his final words in the sketchbook meant? What had he been thanking her for? For showing him a different path? Showing him that it was okay to feel? Showing him that he could be in control of his own life and actions? For being his friend?

"Come, Sakura," Itachi ordered gently, offering a small smile at her slow approach. "Do not allow this to hold you back. Sai knew the price he would pay for going against ROOT, yet he went through with his choice and went out with honour and freedom. He didn't want to see the suffering of those he'd come to care for."

She nodded, then sighed at the feeling of Itachi's hands on her hips, his forehead pressing to her stomach once he was sat up straight. "I wish he came to us. Maybe we could've helped-"

"Sakura," he murmured patiently, pressing a single kiss to her stomach. "Do not stress yourself out over this. There was nothing either of us could have done to prevent what happened – somehow, someway, they would have found an opening."

He was right. So painfully right. Sitting down on her sofa beside her boyfriend, she took a deep breath and leaned forward, filling two cups with the sake given to them by Tsunade, who was currently going through Sakura's ideas for the clinic in a bar down the street. She'd wanted to give them some privacy on top of finding ways to help make Sakura's dream become a reality.

"To new beginnings." Sakura raised her sake dish, tipping it towards Itachi with a small smile.

He nodded once and after he copied the movement, the two dishes clinked softly. "New beginnings." A small smirk curved his lips, eyes showing his pride. He'd always been able to see her potential, even if she couldn't. "Hokage-sama."

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support you've given me for this story! It's been a while since I looked at it and I have to say: I actually enjoyed editing/rewriting parts for once.
> 
> Anywho, for those of you who don't know: I post one-shot sequels (or one-shots set between stories) for my stories on my Ko-Fi, though I've been holding off on a few of them due to rewriting stories and not wanting to give away the endings for you all. That being said, if you want to read the sequel one-shot for Saviour, you can find it on my Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/riseoftheblossom).


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